The Last Daughter of Argo
by theFates
Summary: She came half way across the galaxy from the doomed city of Argo. A city that was ones part of the great planet called Krypton.Armed w her magical bracelet and super powers, only Linda Danvers could protect the people of LEESBURG.
1. Death to Argo City

Note: I know, I know, this isn't a Smallville fanfiction. So you guys must be wondering what the heck this fic's doing in here? Well, the thing is this will serve as a companion story to my other fic called The Earth Angel. I've received a couple emails asking me stuff about Supergirl's origin. So instead of replying to those emails, I reckon that I should tell her story and at the same time enlightening other curious readers who're not familiar with the Supergirl mythology.  
  
Additional Note: In this story I combined some elements from the Supergirl movie and from the Supergirl comic book (before her death) to make it a bit interesting. The real Maiden of Might (Kara Zor-El) died at this event called 'Crisis on Infinite Earth', the Supergirl from the DC comic that are being published at present is just a reincarnation of Kara.  
  
Disclaimer: Again, I'm too friggin' lazy to give you a list of which characters belonged to DC and which ones belonged to me. I'm just gonna say that almost all of them are owned by DC and WB or Tri Star. The dialogues and plot thingy came from me though.  
  
"She came half way across the galaxy from the doomed city of Argo. A prosperous city that was ones part of the great and legendary planet called Krypton. Now all grown up, Linda tries to find her true purpose in this world while balancing school, friendship, love and her quest to find the sole survivor of Krypton, Kal-El. Armed with her super human powers and enchanted bracelet, only Linda Lee Danvers could protect the people of LEESBURG."  
  
Chapter One  
  
A dark figure slowly crawled in a muddy swamp outside the town of Leesburg. A teenage girl.  
  
She was down on all four, making her way through the ghoulish and awfully terrible landscape, almost naked. Garbed only with her now filthy looking under wear, she gasped for breath as she started to feel her only remaining ounce of strength leaving her mud covered body.  
  
"Tired. Need to rest." The brunette girl thought to herself with her body inches away from lying flat on the knee deep, mud filled swamp. The air's strangely cold and misty with only the faint sound of the crickets can be heard. "Got to rest. Can't go on."  
  
In her weakening condition, she doesn't care anymore if the mud is dirty. Anyway, her slender legs and arms and the front portion of her body's been covered with earthy dark mud. She estimated that she's been crawling for almost 30 minutes now. Her knees and hands throbbing wildly in pain as she proceeded.  
  
Earlier, she didn't felt weak, though somehow as she walked deeper and deeper into the swamp, her body began losing strength. The incredible power she always had in her drained away in an instant. Her head was suddenly whirly and it felt to her like it could explode anytime soon.  
  
Something greenish started glowing from under the spot she stopped. Though in a terrible condition she didn't fail to notice that occurrence.  
  
She bent her head down and mumbled, "Meteor rocks."  
  
The teenage girl struggled to crawl away from that location, sluggishly. Her mind racing, worried of what might happened to her if her hands, or worse, her body made contact with one of those meteor rocks.  
  
To no avail, her condition did not improved even just a bit as she got out of that spot. It was only then that she realized that the meteors were scattered all over the place. All of which violently glowing from underground.  
  
She had no escape from them.  
  
The pitch, black sky was starless. Only the faint light that leaked through from the full moon illuminated her surroundings. She raised her head and had a good and quite possibly, her final look around the swamp.  
  
In the dark of the night, the old trees looked frightful and monstrous. They seem to have those scary faces that watched your every movement. The kind you often see in horror movies.  
  
She wouldn't be surprised if a pack of hungry wolves would start running from the shadows to devour her. Or maybe, a flesh-eating creature lurking in the dark would jump right out for her.  
  
The young lady's used to things like that now. Monsters and other horrible creatures are real and they're out there somewhere. Most of them, humans that were mutated by the green meteor rock that struck Leesburg several years ago. Meteor rocks which she brought with her to earth.  
  
"It's all my fault. I caused all of these." She whispered under her breath as tears forced their way out of her bright, but sad blue eyes. "Maybe this is my fate. To die right here, right now because of what I've done. Maybe this is what God wants for me."  
  
She was giving up. Her arms were wobbly and could no longer support her weight anymore. Again, she bent her head down as she continued crying.  
  
The red 'S' that was spray painted on her chest by the cheering squad captain, Nicole Hamilton of Leesburg High, caught her tear filled eyes.  
  
The 'S' on her chest is supposed to represent the S in Leesburg. But in her troubled thoughts she reckoned it stands for 'Stupidity'. Her stupidity.  
  
Why did she even bother to try out for the cheering squad? Now look what she got herself into. A supposed squad initiation would most likely end up in her death at the swamps.  
  
Then she remembered the other girls that were part of this initiation. Who were they? What are their names? Lena, Lena Thorul, was the only name that popped in her mind She wished they were somewhere safe.  
  
She began lowering her body down the mud. There's no way she could escape this meteor filled location. She's gonna die and it's going to be slow and painful.  
  
Her body and face made contact with the cold and soft muddy ground as she lay down. She closed her eyes and thought of everyone dear to her.  
  
Lucy Lane, her best friend. Dick Malverne, the guy she regarded as her big brother, her crush. There's the couple that adopted her as a child, her Mom Edna and her Dad Fred Danvers.  
  
The image of Zaltar, her mentor as a child back in Argo city, flashed inside her head. Finally, the image of her real parents, Zor El and Allura came to her. They were both smiling at her.  
  
"I'm sorry I failed you." Her lips moved, eyes closed, with the left side of her face resting on the muddy earth. "I'm sorry I failed to find Kal- El."  
  
"Kal-El-I'm sorry." She repeated the name after a while, as a tear rolled out of her closed eyes. Then everything went dark.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Xeno Galaxy:  
  
A chunk of rock floated near the location where the doomed planet of Krypton used to orbit around the magnificent red sun. Atop that chunk of rock is a prosperous city unknown to anyone else in the galaxy. The crystal city of Argo.  
  
It's been almost a year after the destruction of the Krypton planet. If the neighboring system of the red sun had any life form in them, they would've assumed that all of Krypton was destroyed and no one survived the tragedy, except for one child that was sent to a far away planet. They would've called that child, the last son of Krypton. Kal-El.  
  
But in reality, Krypton had a lot of survivors, and they are now living in peace on the city situated on top the chunk of rock, Argo City.  
  
The Argonians, as we may now call them, had to thank a brilliant scientist for their survival. The scientist known to everyone as Zor-El.  
  
Zor-El believed his cousin's (Jor-El) prediction of Krypton's impending demise years ago. His plan for salvation was to raise a dome over the whole city of Argo, back then when it was still a part of Krypton. When the planet exploded, Argo city remained intact and unharmed as it was propelled away into space.  
  
All of Argo was living happily when only after several months had passed, when the chunk of rock of Krypton, upon which the city rested turned into kryptonite. To fix this Zor-El placed a sheet of lead metal into the ground, separating them from the kryptonite soil of Argo.  
  
Though everything seemed enough already for most of the Argonians to feel safe, Zor-El didn't stop there. With help of the other brilliant scientist that survived, he came up with an energy source that held the city's defense together.  
  
An energy and life giving force they called the Omegahedron.  
  
Thanks to this newly invented power they no longer need to worry about anything. The energy from the Omegahedron replaced the dome of the city. It was far stronger and glassed like, enabling the residents of Argo to marvel at the void space outside.The power source also took care of the anti- kryptonite ground and prevented it from ever harming the citizens. All is well in Argo City.  
  
In time, Zor-El's daughter was born there. Allura, his wife, named the baby Kara Zor-El. She had an angelic face, with her curly blonde hair and the bluest eyes in all of Argo.  
  
It's been already 3 years after the explosion of Argo's mother planet krypton. But still, the Argonian's remembered everything so vividly like the event only happened yesterday.  
  
"From time and again, I wonder whatever happened to Jor-El's son." Zaltar a wise old man in his 40's, told his companions as they walked along the narrow path leading to the edifice housing the powerful Omegahedron. "I often encounter disturbing dreams about the young boy asking for help."  
  
"There is no sense of you worrying about Kal-El, Zaltar." Reminded the scientist Zor-El to his old friend.  
  
Argo is a city of crystals. Instead of concrete buildings and houses, high rising crystal structures can be found everywhere. The city looked even more amazing when the red sun set's from the horizon.  
  
"Remember? Jor-El sent him to earth. He will be safe there." He comforted, placing a hand on Zaltar's shoulder as they continued walking. "My cousin wouldn't had sent him to earth, if he knew his son would be in danger there. Kal-El's safe, Zaltar."  
  
"Kal-El." Young Kara repeated the name upon hearing her father mention it. Allura, her beautiful mother, carried her in her arms, lovingly. Kara's now three years of age.  
  
The grown ups, Zaltar, Zor-El and Allura, smiled at her when she said the name.  
  
"Yes, Kara, Kal-El." Her father uttered with a smile as he caressed her soft chubby cheeks gently. The toddler giggled childishly and grinned back.  
  
Way back, before the demise of Krypton the cousins Jor-El and Zor-El agreed on a sacred promise, that had been a great tradition in their family for so many years. The betrothal of their children.  
  
Both parties have agreed upon that Kal-El would be married to Kara Zor-El when they reached the appropriate age.  
  
Though now the covenant no longer exist because of the death of Jor-El and his wife and the absence of their son, Kal-El.  
  
The doors to the crystal building that housed the Omegahedron opened automatically when they took the last step up the stairs. They all came in and proceeded to the room where the Omegahedron is.  
  
Zor-El was there to inspect it after some people reported that there's something bizarre with the power source. They claimed that it was alive and the thing was trying to communicate with them.  
  
Inside the Omegahedron chamber, after a thorough inspection by Zor-El and Zaltar, they have concluded that there's nothing strange with the power source at all. The Omegahedron is about the size of a baseball ball, crystal like in form and always seemed to possess a bright glow.  
  
Kara began crying for some reason so Allura puts her down. Usually when she cries, it's either she's hungry or just plainly wants to wander around by herself. This time though, Kara didn't seize crying.  
  
"She wouldn't stop." Allura informed her husband, who was talking to Zaltar at the far corner of the chamber.  
  
Allura knelt down and tried comforting her daughter but she wouldn't stop her whining. Zaltar walked towards them and dug something out of his pockets, a crystal wand that is orange in color. The magical matterwand.  
  
He handed it to the little girl and just like magic she stopped. All Kara wanted was something for her to play with.  
  
The toddler wandered away as Zaltar and Allura joined Zor-El. Kara walked unsteadily heading for the transparent wall of the chamber, which is a part of the city dome itself. She pressed her hands and her forehead on the glassed like protection of the city. Her big blue eyes wide opened in absolute astonishment with the view outside of Argo.  
  
From where she stood she could see the strange twin planet of Twaix with its 5 dark moons orbiting it on high speed. The crimson planet of Heoptetron floated from a distant with the gigantic red sun serving as its breath taking background. There were a lot of other planets in the system but only those 3 heavenly bodies struck young Kara's fancy. She was reminded abruptly of Kal-El, the legendary last son of Krypton.  
  
Kara wondered where he is. Even though she haven't met her distant cousin, she somehow found herself longing for him. She wanted a playmate. She wanted Kal-El.  
  
Tired and a bit frustrated from just looking out and not being able to explore outside, Kara turned around and leaned against that side of the dome. Slowly, she crashed onto the marble like flooring of the chamber and studied the matterwand Zaltar, her commissioned mentor, handed her.  
  
Curiosity made its way up and deep into her thoughts.  
  
"What does this do?" She asked moving the wand closer so she could have a better look. "What is it?"  
  
Foolishly, she shook the matterwand first and was thrilled when specs of shiny dust like particles started to come out of thin air. She hasn't seen anything like this device.  
  
Kara overheard her father saying something to Zaltar and her mother.  
  
"Omegahedron. Life giving energy. Too powerful. Both good and evil combined. A living thing. Capable of communication. Not possible." Were the only words that she somehow understood.  
  
She ignored them again as she went back to her plaything at the moment, the matterwand. It almost seemed like a light bulb literally popped out over her head, when she realized that this was the same tool Zaltar used to make her the two silver bracelets, attached on each of her wrist.  
  
"A gift for the princess." He told her back then.  
  
Little Kara experimented and took off one of her bracelet. As she sat on the floor, she spread her legs apart to create some space while carefully placing down the accessory at the center.  
  
With one quick wave of the wand, the silver bracelet transformed into a metallic insect that resembled a dragonfly. She was completely amazed by what she did.  
  
Kara was about to touch it with her other hand, when suddenly the Omegahedron that hovered at the heart of the chamber, emitted a small ray of light to her creation.  
  
Without warning the metallic dragonfly slowly began flapping its wings, to Kara's delight and fascination. The Omegahedron gave it life.  
  
The alloy insect took off from the floor and began flying away from Kara's location. Not wanting to lose her creation, Kara stood up and chased after it playfully. Her silky white gown gliding through the air gracefully.  
  
The dragonfly circled around the mystical chamber a few times with little Kara running, hoping to catch the thing she created. Meanwhile, the adults were very much into a serious debate as to whether its possible for their power source, the Omegahedron, to have life, thus it prevented them to take notice of Kara's little adventure.  
  
What happened next changed Argo's history forever. The insect attached itself to the dome protection of the city with wings continuing to flap.  
  
Kara stopped on her tracks and observed what it planned to do next. The insect like creature commenced punching a hole through the protective dome that separates Argo city from the void space.  
  
Immediately, the insect was sucked out. The grown ups noticed the occurrence this time. Allura grab hold of her daughter as Zaltar snatched the matterwand from Kara.  
  
He was able to close the big gaping hole, but not before the Omegahedron is lost. Just like the insect, it was forcefully vacuumed out into outer space.  
  
Upon the power source's exit out of Argo, a low rumbling sound came from under the city ground. Something is terribly wrong.  
  
There was no doubt in Zor-El and Zaltar's mind that Argo city will meet its end any minute now. With the only thin sheet of dome covering the city and the krytonite ground, it can be assumed that the city will be destroyed.  
  
The adults rushed out of the edifice and out in the streets to warn everyone. Allura carried her daughter close to her chest as she heads home where they could at least feel safe.  
  
The citizens of Argo poured out of the streets ones they heard the news and panicked. Everyone ran back and forth with not knowing what to do to save themselves or their family.  
  
Screamed echoed as the ground shook and rattled violently causing some of the high rising crystal structures to collapse down to the ground. The majestic roads and streets cracked opened swallowing some residents alive. Some Argonians were instantly buried from under the debris in a split second.  
  
The destructive quake continued to destroy all of Argo, bit by bit.  
  
The couple, Allura and Zor-El were back at their house with Zaltar and Kara. They were all assembled in Zor-El's work place and laboratory as they struggled to stay on their feet due to the shaking of the ground.  
  
At the center of the laboratory is one of Zor-El's most prized invention in all his life. He walked for it and pulled off the silver tarp that covered the machine revealing a ship.  
  
A space bubble Zor-El created because he wanted to travel and explore the galaxies around Argo. Though now it is the only thing that could possibly save her daughter's life.  
  
Sending Kara into space enclosed in that bubble sphere ship is his only choice to save her. Allura didn't think twice when her husband laid out the plans. It's either this or Kara dying with them in Argo.  
  
The quake was getting stronger by the minute. They must act fast, now before it's too late.  
  
All the while Kara wasn't aware of what's happening around her. She hasn't got the slightest idea that the city she grew up in was about to meet its doom.  
  
Zor-El touched something in his control panel and the glass bubble ship opened like a lotus flower with its petals falling to its sides.  
  
Zaltar, touched young Kara's arms. Sadness was very evident in his old wrinkly façade. He moved close and whispered something in her ears before making his matterwand and Kara's remaining bracelet touch. It started to glow.  
  
Allura kissed her daughter affectionately all over her face. She kept repeating the words 'I Love You", as tears escaped her sad eyes.  
  
It was then that she gave Kara to her husband, Zor-El.  
  
He rested her in the middle of the opened bubble ship, carefully. Zor-El bent forward and planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead. He wanted to cry so badly, knowing that this is the last time he'd ever gaze upon beautiful Kara, but he controlled his tears. He doesn't want her daughter to have her final image of her father as sad, so instead he smiled. Zor-El wanted Kara to remember that he's a strong and loving father.  
  
"Find Kal-El." Muttered Zor-El softly as she stared at Kara. He has programmed the ship to go towards Earth.  
  
Zaltar, took over on the control panel of the laboratory and pressed the button to close up the ship. The tremors rattled the ground again. Pieces of small debris falling from the roof.  
  
Ones the glass bubble ship is completely sealed up, it began rising above the launch pad. In no time at all, it crashed right out of the glass ceiling of the laboratory.  
  
Zaltar, Zor-El and Allura waved their final goodbye to Kara. They wished her well and hoped only the best for her. Allura couldn't stop crying as she looked up at the floating ship.  
  
It hovered higher and higher until it escaped out of the now torn up dome of Argo city. Kara saw what was happening now that she's up there. The structures were crumbling and the people in total hysteria.  
  
The bubble ship got into space and traveled speedily as far away from the dying city as possible. It was only then that, Kara knew that she wouldn't get to see her parents and Zaltar anymore. They're gonna die.  
  
Kara sat steadily and cried. She gazed back at Argo and was stunned to witness the powerful and almost blinding explosion of the whole city.  
  
This event caused her ship to travel almost at the speed of light because of the force made by the explosion. Her ship shot across the red sun and out of Argo's system. All she could see at that instant are the countless stars of space.  
  
Her tears never seized to stop flowing until such time that she got tired.  
  
Far ahead she could see a strange ball of light. The Omegahedron.  
  
Kara looked over her shoulder and was frightened to find out that on her tail are clusters of huge meteor rocks, threatening to catch up with her ship. Meteor rocks that most likely came from the blast of Argo. 


	2. The Arrival

Note: Thanks for the reviews! I really didn't expect anyone to review this 'fic coz it isn't a Smallville story and stuff. But hey! I was really surprised with the comments! Keep it coming! Thank you! Thank you! Ahehehe! This 'fic is gonna be a short one, maybe about 5 chapters only. I'm trying to keep it short in preparation for my next fanfic. And it MIGHT be a Clark and Linda story again. I just reckoned that they were born for each other! Reviews plssssss!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Two  
  
  
  
The light of dawn breaks over the horizon, splitting the dark coal sky with rays of rose and fierce orange, coloring the entire land with colors of the new day. Bells rang from the tower as a flock of white doves flew over the majestic Church situated at the town square.  
  
Leesburg truly is a magnificent sight to behold.  
  
The small Church is by now beginning to fill up with people, most of them families. It was Sunday and strange enough, quite a lot of people turned up to converge in that place. There's something different in the morning air and everyone noticed that change.  
  
The dark mahogany wooden benches that used to be vacant in the past Sunday's, were now miraculously stuffed with Leesburg residents. Children's giggled at one side of the Church, while their parent's eyes were fixed directly to the altar awaiting for the mass to begin.  
  
A stylish black Lamborghini pulled up before the grand doorway of the Church. The people present outside turned their heads, intrigued to see who owns the beautiful car.  
  
They weren't surprised at all when the driver opened the vehicle's door to Elizabeth Thorul, one of Leesburg's elite people. She stepped out of the car garbbed in a sophisticated salmon suit and she was fully accented with her diamond jewelry.  
  
Her lovely but shy young daughter Lena followed her out of the Lamborghini. Like her mother, she was also attired in a red, expensive looking designer outfit. Complete with jewelry.  
  
Mrs. Thorul instructed her chauffeur to park the car nearby so they could see it easily ones the mass's over. The chauffeur obediently nodded and got in the car to park it where his employer ordered.  
  
They started to proceed inside the Church.  
  
"Mom," Young Lena called to her mother when they sat on the especially reserved seats for them. "I wish daddy's here with us. I don't understand why he had to leave last night."  
  
"Oh Selena." Mrs. Thorul held her daughter's hand lovingly with a weak smile on. "You know daddy's got some work to do back in Kansas."  
  
"But he promised we'd hear mass together." Lena insisted, a frown starting to form on her doll like face.  
  
She clearly remembered her dad, Lionel Luthor, promising to her and her mom that he'd go to Church with them on Sunday. He arrived only last Thursday afternoon and Lena reckons that it's unfair for him to leave so soon. She misses her father so much.  
  
"I hate Kansas!" Added Lena furrowing her eyebrows while crossing her arms over her chest. Frustration and anger visible on her big green eyes.  
  
"I hate Kansas too." Her mother said with a small laugh, taking off Lena's matching red beret hat. She ran her slender fingers through her daughter's silky red hair.  
  
The truth is the statement she just made about her hating Kansas is half meant. Her husband's got another family back there in Metropolis. Elizabeth's aware that she and Lena aren't Lionel's legitimate family at all.  
  
That's ok with her. After all Lionel said that he no longer loves his other wife and the only reason why he's staying with her is because of their son, Lex.  
  
Lena doesn't know any of these secrets though. She doesn't know that she's an illegitimate child and that she has an older half brother in Metropolis. Lionel and Elizabeth both planned to keep it a secret from her as long as they possibly can.  
  
The first five rows of seats inside the Church were occupied by a group of kids and nuns from the Midvale orphanage. It's been always a routine for the Midvale kids to hear mass every Sunday with the good hearted nuns to accompany them.  
  
A blond young boy with the palest blue eyes and the most wonderful smile sat on the front row next to a nun. Although he had seen the inside of the Church a gazillion times now, it never seized to astonish this young boy.  
  
His wide opened eyes wandering around the place like he was inside a toy store or something. He is greatly amazed with the Church's breath taking baroque interior. All those huge statues and portraits of different saints made him look forward to go to mass every Sunday.  
  
"Sister Cecilia," The kid suddenly uttered in a whisper.  
  
"Yes, Dick?"  
  
"Do all good kids go to heaven?"  
  
"Yes they do Dick. As a matter of fact all people who loves God go to heaven." Sister Cecilia informed the cute boy she calls Dick.  
  
"So, my mom and my dad are both in heaven?"  
  
The nun nodded, touched that Dick remembers his parents fondly even if they passed away years ago.  
  
"And my brother and sister too?" He asked raising his head to Sister Cecilia.  
  
"Sure they are." She comforted stroking his hair with her hand with a sincere smile.  
  
Dick's family died in a terrible car accident two years ago. The family car collided with a speeding truck in the highway, which instantly killed everyone. Everyone except for two years old Dick. He suffered a few bruises and scratches but he luckily survived. They all called him the miracle child.  
  
  
  
At the moment he recovered, Dick was sent immediately to the Midvale orphanage. It appeared that he doesn't have any relatives left or anyone that would be capable of taking care of him.  
  
Now at four years old, he considers everyone in Midvale his family. Dick's only wish is that someday he'd be adopted by a great family that he could call his own.  
  
"And our dog Brownie too?" He inquired to his favorite nun.  
  
Sister Cecilia giggled when Dick said that, "Yes. Even Brownie too is in heaven Dick. Everyone's up there."  
  
Dick gave her an adorable smile. He went back to studying the insides of the Church. His eyes were caught by these delightful little figures that adorned the Holy Mother's altar. Heads of little blonde children with a pair of small fluffy white wings on each of them.  
  
"Sister Cecilia," The young boy called again, pulling the nun's sleeve to get her attention. "Are those angels?"  
  
Dick pointed at an area near the altar. The nun followed his gaze and realized that he's pointing at the cherubs.  
  
"They're called cherubs Dick." Sister Cecilia advised in a hushed tone.  
  
"But I thought they're angels. Only little."  
  
"That's it. They're little angels." She explained looking at the cute figures.  
  
"Are they also from up there?" Dick mumbled raising one arm upwards and pointing to the Church's roof, where he's actually referring to the sky outside.  
  
"Uh huh. Just like God, the Virgin Mary and all the saints and all the good people and children. They all live up there." Cleared Sister Cecilia, beaming a smile at the boy. "All little angels come from up there."  
  
"Wow." The boy let out astonished by what he found out just now. His big blue eyes wide opened. He was blown away by what he heard.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A lot had changed since the release of Zor -El's space bubble that encased her young daughter into the dark and cold space. The clusters of meteors that were following behind the ship had caught up with it.  
  
To Kara Zor -El's luck, the bubble ship seemed to have an invisible barrier around it that prevented the meteor rocks from bumping or even crashing with the ship. The tiny bubble ship is safely travelling within the heart of the swarm of meteors.  
  
Inside the ship, the last daughter of Argo City sleeps peacefully.  
  
Because the ship was nearly travelling at the speed of light, it only took a year to travel from the Xeno galaxy up to our solar system.  
  
When the ship entered the system a few months ago, it's speed lessened dramatically. It was by now travelling at a mere 15 miles per second. Nothing compared to its previous speed.  
  
They went past Pluto all the way to the blue green gas giant we call on Earth as the planet, Neptune. The cluster easily penetrated the meteor rock barriers that separated the inner planets from the outer planets.  
  
They were now heading towards the ship's destination. Earth.  
  
The bubble ship shook a little because of the activity outside by the meteors. It had awakened the young Kara Zor-El from her sweet slumber. She fluttered opened her eyes and noticed that her surroundings had changed.  
  
Kara pivoted her head and saw a red planet from behind. Up ahead is a bright yellow sun, unlike she had never seen before and then she lowered her gaze, fixing on the glowing form of the Omegahedron streaking towards the blue planet of Earth.  
  
Argo City's power source is heading to the same destination the ship is going.  
  
Kara witnessed how the Omegahedron shattered to a thousand pieces when it pierced through Earth's own protective shield. The atmosphere.  
  
The young girl braced herself when she realized that her ship was next to enter the gaseous shield of Earth. Closing her eyes she tried to hold onto something inside the bubble ship, but there's nothing. She pressed her hands on the cold glass like interior and prepared for whatever might happen to her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The mass was finished at about an hour. People poured out of the Church and into the town square. Some were talking as they walked towards their car. Kids were excited, knowing that their parents would take them out to their favorite fast food chain. McDonald's? Burger King? KFC?  
  
The Midvale group assembled outside near the Church's entrance as they waited patiently for their service bus to arrive. The kids all looked angelic forming rows of orderly line.  
  
"Ok, everyone wait here while I'll go tell Bert to get the bus ready." Sister Cecilia told the kids and her fellow nuns.  
  
"Yes, Sister Cecilia." The kids replied in unison, aloud.  
  
The nun turned away and began to walk for the parking lot where their old yellow bus rested with their driver, Bert.  
  
Dick stood in front of one of the lines, with his arms crossed over his chest just like the other children. He saw a kid with a shimmering red hair holding on to her mom's hand. Lena noticed the blond kid, Dick, staring at her. He gave out a little wave, which surprised Lena.  
  
Instead of waving back, Lena stuck out her tongue at him. Her mom didn't seem to notice any of this. She was busy checking for their chauffeur.  
  
Angered, Dick did the same and pulled both his ears to make him more annoying.  
  
"Dick!" Sister Joanna regarded what he did and asked him to stop.  
  
"I'm sorry." Dick apologized, crossing back his arms on his chest. "She started it."  
  
Suddenly, one of the people walking through the town square noticed something shining from the clear blue sky.  
  
"Look!" The man shouted as the people looked up to see what he was pointing at.  
  
Then before their eyes they saw something shimmering in the heavens. They all reckon that it's some kind of crystal that scattered automatically into the sky. Everyone was baffled by the event.  
  
What's weirder is the fact that not a single piece of the crystal like things ever fell down on them or the town square. They were blown off to some place else. The town people ignored it and went back to their business.  
  
After that, the beautiful light blue sky began to darken in just a matter of seconds.  
  
The people of Leesburg were not prepared on what happened next.  
  
Huge swirling rocks came shooting out of the sky. It instantly crashed into the nearby establishments located at the town square. The impact caused the ground to rumble ferociously.  
  
Everyone panicked and went completely hysterical when they saw and felt what happened.  
  
Another batch of fire bathed meteors blazed down from the heavens destroying some rural parts of Leesburg. People started to run around not knowing what they could possibly do to save themselves or their loved ones.  
  
The kids and their mothers screamed in utter terror as meteors continued to crash on every buildings and houses on the streets. They all thought of one thing.  
  
"It's the end of the world." 


	3. Home

Note: Sorry it took me eons to update this 'fic! Just like the Earth Angel, I already have an idea on how the whole story of this 'fic would go, it's just that I'm having a hard time putting it into words. Ahehehe. Review please!  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
  
  
A young nun by the name of Lourdes, trekked along a narrow trail in a patch of woodland, known to everyone in Leesburg as Forest Green. This is a special place for her. Besides her small quarter back at the orphanage, Forest Green had always been a place of reflection and prayers for this newly ordained nun.  
  
At that moment, she was feeling down because she didn't get to accompany the children from Midvale to Church that morning. There is supposed to be a rotation with her fellow nuns on who would go with the children every Sunday to the town's Church for mass. It was her turn to go that day, but for some reason her superiors asked her to stay and do chores at the orphanage.  
  
Just as she was finished with preparing the children's meal and sorting out their dirty clothes for laundry, Lourdes sneaked out and headed for Forest Green.  
  
She knew that by doing this, she'd most likely be scolded and lectured by her superiors if she get caught. Fretting for a couple of seconds, she ignored the horrible thought that popped in her head and continued with her little adventure.  
  
Anyway, Forest Green is just a few blocks away from Midvale itself, so she'd be back there in no time at all.  
  
Now, taking in the cold morning air while enjoying the nice warm sunshine on her pale face, the mischievous nun wandered at the woods all alone. She was headed to her favorite spot, a small grassy clearing at the heart of Forest Green.  
  
Ones she got there, she absorbed the tranquility of the place. It was beautiful. Lourdes dropped on her knees slowly, closing her eyes she began her prayers. She gave thanks to the Almighty for the wonderful day that Leesburg is having. She prayed for the children and all those she loved dearly to be safe and healthy.  
  
Lourdes was deep into her prayers when a distinct thunderous sound echoed from the somewhere. Cutting her prayers short, she fluttered her caramel eyes open and was stunned to see that the light blue sky she adored earlier turned dark and cloudy.  
  
At first she thought that there's a storm coming. Though she remembered that the weatherman from the radio said nothing about a storm in Leesburg. Lourdes was fazed for a moment.  
  
She got up to her feet and stared at the grumbling dark sky.  
  
Then, what she didn't expect happened.  
  
Huge burning boulders of rocks blazed from the heavens! Lourdes knew it hit something because of the strong quake that vibrated on the ground.  
  
"Apocalypse-." The nun thought in utter horror.  
  
She backed away and thought of the town people. The rock seemed to be headed for town where the children and her fellow nuns are at that instant!  
  
Lourdes started running, she doesn't know where she's going. All that she wanted is to get out of that place and get back to Midvale as quickly as possible.  
  
Her heart beating wildly against her chest she never seized her running, even thought her long white dress would get caught and ripped from the spiked shrubs. All the while, she kept a small prayer in her heart that no one would get hurt, especially the children.  
  
Awfully terrified, she found herself lost! Lourdes lost tracked of the narrow trail she's following and wound up deeper into the woods. She stopped running and looked around for a clue or some sort to help her find her way back.  
  
But wherever she looked she couldn't find a trail that would lead her out. Panic slowly crept at the back of her head. Lourdes stood at that same spot for several seconds, helpless.  
  
She could still feel the ground rumbling. She reckoned that the shower of the flaming rocks is still continuing.  
  
From the little spaces from the branches of the tall trees she saw a great light heading her way. As the light drew closer she realized that it was a cluster of those burning rocks about to hit Forest Green.  
  
"This is my end." Lourdes thought, giving everything up.  
  
The wind rushed wildly towards her and the trees seemed to bend as the meteor rock approaches. Dried leaves flew everywhere.  
  
For the last time, she did the sign of the cross, closed her eyes and leave it all to God. There was no way she'd survive this.  
  
The meteor crashed down on the ground instantly, breaking trees it its path as it slid across Forest Green. The impact of the crash was so strong that it sent the young nun flying backwards for almost 40 feet before she actually hit the earth with a thud.  
  
With that, Lourdes' world turned pitch black.  
  
Meanwhile back at the town-square, people continued with their panic. Screams for help shattered the air together with the sound of huge rocks colliding with concrete roads, buildings and wooden houses.  
  
Rubber wheels screeched as vehicles tried to avoid smashing with the flaming boulders that crashed in the middle of the road. A truck flipped over and began tumbling on its sides for a few times before it stopped.  
  
The gas from the tank leaked and abruptly some of its wires sparked, sending the vehicle on fire. The poor driver couldn't get his seatbelt off so he was unfortunately engulfed in flames as well.  
  
"Everyone get in!" A police officer in his early thirties advised the terrified town people at the top of his lungs. Officer Fred Danvers led them all inside the old Church.  
  
The Midvale children were crying and so the nuns prodded them to get inside just like what the brave police officer asked them to do. The nuns, just as the same were panicking so they failed to notice that they're missing one kid, Dick.  
  
"Mommy I'm scared." Whispered young Lena Thorul in between sobs to her mother as they sat back inside the Church. She had her short arms wrapped tightly around Mrs. Thorul's body.  
  
Elizabeth couldn't do anything but hug her back. Then she joined the terrified town people in a prayer to keep them safe from harm.  
  
"Sir, we're missing one child." Sister Joan went immediately to Officer Danvers to report the incident.  
  
"What does he looks like?" Asked the police, alarmed deeply by the report.  
  
"Blond, wearing a checkered white and blue shirt." Informed the worried nun. "His name's Dick. Please you've got to find him!"  
  
Officer Danvers rushed out of the door suddenly with high hopes to retrieve the missing child.  
  
Dick stood outside the Church watching as the meteor rocks crushed houses and cars with people still in it. Tears were welling up from his eyes, threatening to fall anytime. He was reminded of his family's death, not to mention that he was dead scared.  
  
From where she stood, he could see the rusty old yellow bus of the Midvale Orphanage situated at the parking lot. Inside he could see their driver and his favorite nun, Sister Cecilia trapped.  
  
Upon seeing Sister Cecilia, Dick had the urge to run for the bus and be with her. Conjuring all of his energy, the blond, blue eyed, brave kid started running for the parking lot.  
  
Although Dick was frightened by the continuous shower of the burning meteor, he figured that he should be with Sister Cecilia on that bus.  
  
Dick looked at her as a big sister. He had always been close to Sister Cecilia while growing up at Midvale. Often she'd tease Dick and say that he's her hero. He would of course feel flattered and think of himself as that, a hero.  
  
"I'm coming." He thought, trying his very best to run faster.  
  
From the windows of the bus, Sister Cecilia yelled the words 'get back inside' and gestured him to go away. She was concerned for his safety. But Dick had his mind set on joining her. Nothing could possibly change that.  
  
To Dick's surprise, some grabbed him from the back. He pivoted his head and saw that it was the police officer, Mr. Danvers.  
  
"Come on kid!" He said picking him up.  
  
"Let me go!" Dick screamed, trying to kick his way out of the man's embrace.  
  
He looked back at the old yellow bus, he swore he saw tears leaving Sister Cecilia's eyes as she pressed her hands on the bus window.  
  
Then, in his eyes, everything that's happening seemed to be in slow motion. While he was jerking his way out of the embrace, a meteor rock crashed into the old yellow bus without warning. In an instant the bus exploded.  
  
"Nooo!" He cried holding out one short arm, as Officer Danvers tried to pull him into safety.  
  
Hot tears flowed from his pale blue eyes, watching the crushed bus in flames. Sister Cecilia's dead.  
  
Fred Davers' heart was crushed when he saw what happened. That nun must be truly special for this kid.  
  
Dick couldn't do anything but cry while gazing upon the burning vehicle.  
  
Again, someone special in his life died. First they took his family away from him, and now they took away Sister Cecilia.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lourdes woke up lying in dirt after passing out for a couple of minutes. Every inches of her body felt pain. She opened her eyes and for a moment thought that she was dead.  
  
From where she lay, she could see that the sky was blue again. The thing she called 'The Apocalypse' is over.  
  
She struggled to get back on her feet, using her wobbly arms and legs to support her. The air had a distinct smell of burning sulfur or some sort.  
  
Ones she was up, Lourdes was shocked to see that some of the trees were pulled off of their roots. The forceful impact of the crash must've caused that to happen.  
  
Thanks to the bright sunlight, she managed to navigate her way through the smoke filled Forest Green. She began massaging her aching temples and attempted to recall what happened before she passed out.  
  
"The meteor crashing-." Lourdes told herself, walking towards the crash site.  
  
Although beat and aching, she had curiosity lingering on her mind. She reckoned that she should go and have a look at it. As she got closer the smoke became thicker and she found herself pulled by something glowing from a distance.  
  
Using her hand, she fanned off the smoke to get a better look. The crash had made a shallow crater on the soft ground of Forest Green.  
  
She did not dare go down on that thing, instead she bent over, squinted her eyes and tried to figure out that glowing matter at the bottom of the crater.  
  
Lourdes was startled when she saw something move down there. She took a step back, fearful of what that might be. Her instincts told her to run away, but curiosity got the better of her. She remained from where she stood, waiting for whatever will pop out of the crater.  
  
As the smoke began to clear, a figure emerged from out of nowhere. Lourdes squinted here eyes and to her utter surprise, a child was crawling out of the ground.  
  
"Oh my Lord." She mumbled in disbelief.  
  
The child garbed in a luminous white gown with the longest blonde hair, finally got out of the crater. Standing up, she looked up at Lourdes and studied her form for a while. Lourdes did the same.  
  
Realizing that this tall woman staring down at her is no threat, the child smiled at her. She held up her hands as if telling Lourdes to pick her up.  
  
Lourdes always had a soft spot for children, that's why she became a nun and worked at an orphanage. And so she approached the child and carried her in her arms.  
  
"An angel?" Mother Francine queried.  
  
The nuns where all assembled inside Mother Francine's office discussing about the tragic death of their fellow nun, Sister Cecilia and their bus driver Bert when Lourdes came rushing in with the angelic child.  
  
"Maybe." Lourdes said putting down the child.  
  
She explained to them in details on how she found her at Forest Green. Lourdes also mentioned that strange bubble shaped glass she found along with the child.  
  
"I believe it's her ship." She added. The child took little steps before she sat on the middle of the office floor gazing at the faces of each of the nuns that sat around her.  
  
"But where did she come from?" One of the nuns asked curiously, studying the child.  
  
"I don't know." The young nun replied softly, kneeling beside the child. "She could very well be from another planet."  
  
Lourdes brushed her slender fingers on the child's hair to comfort her. She can tell that she's bit frightened.  
  
She couldn't believe her eyes when golden locks of her hair remained on her fingers. Everyone gasped when they regarded that the child's hair is falling out.  
  
Every time Lourdes would run her hands on the child's hair, locks of it would start to shed off.  
  
It was caused by the difference of atmospheric conditions between Argo City and Earth. Her body couldn't adapt easily, so hair loss is the result of all of these.  
  
In a matter of minutes, the gleaming blonde hair that the child possessed earlier is now gone. She was bald.  
  
One of the elder nuns proposed that the child should wear a wig to prevent the other children from noticing her condition.  
  
The nuns all agreed to the proposal and at the same time they agreed to keep the child's origin a secret. They figured that if news about this strange child would leak out into the public, certainly the media would hound the orphanage nonstop. They would want to get a glimpse of the child of the meteor or maybe an exclusive interview with her.  
  
For now, the nuns couldn't think of anything but to keep the child under their care. They would treat her as a normal child and would teach her everything she'd want.  
  
The Midvale orphanage would be her new home. 


	4. New Beginnings

Chapter Four  
  
  
  
"Linda!" Called Mrs. Edna Danvers to her daughter.  
  
She was in her late thirties, possessing a pair of light brown eyes and wavy black hair. At that time she was in the kitchen of their house frying some bacons while her husband Fred was reading the morning papers. He sat on the table, alone, drinking his steaming mug of coffee.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be right down!" A female voice yelled back coming from upstairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It's been already twelve years since the last daughter of Argo arrived on Earth. In that past twelve years of her life, a lot of changes had taken place, both physical and mental wise.  
  
Only after a year of residing in the Midvale Orphanage, Linda Lee was adopted by the kind hearted Danvers couple.  
  
From the start, the nuns at the orphanage were not up with the idea knowing that Linda isn't like any other kid and they actually suggested that they choose another one to adopt. But Mrs. Edna Danvers insisted that she wanted the angelic, Linda Lee.  
  
"When I first saw her face and that smile it felt like she was calling to me, Fred." Mrs. Danvers explained to her husband, eyes fixed to the blue eyed little girl peeping through the opened door at the superior's office.  
  
The nun tried their best to convince the couple not to take Linda, but in the end they gave in. They divulged the secret to Mrs. and Mr. Danvers about Linda's real origin.  
  
The couple laughed at the though of that little girl as an alien. Then the nuns took them to the basement of the orphanage, they were speechless at the sight of a strange looking glass bubble spear. After a thorough inspection of the ship and a lot of explaining from Sister Lourdes, Edna and Fred became believers.  
  
They vowed to keep Linda's origin a secret from anyone. Although the couple learned that the little girl they wanted to adopt is technically an alien, they still wanted her.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Danvers promised the nuns that they would take care of the child no matter what and that they would give her a normal life.  
  
"She will be loved." Edna said, removing the wig from Linda's head. She touched her blonde hair and looked at her lovingly.  
  
Now all grown up, the sixteen years old Linda Lee Danvers is loving every bit of her life. She experienced everything there is about growing up. She felt how it is to fall in love and be loved and had even gone through her fair share of heartbreaks. She felt how it is to be used and be left out from a group.  
  
Linda learned to look at things from both sides now, a teenager wise beyond her years. And although she appeared as a normal teenager, equipped with raging hormones to everyone else, she's not.  
  
As a child she exhibited unbelievable strength. Ones she lifted Mr. Danvers' car with one hand when her ball rolled under it. The couple freaked out at the sight of that. Then just six years ago, she developed her amazing speed.  
  
"A speed that could rival a speeding bullet." Her father reckoned when he first saw her run.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Linda!" Mrs. Danvers called again from the kitchen. "You'll miss your bus again!"  
  
"Yeah, Yeah! In a minute!" She replied brushing her shoulder length brown hair with a boar brush, facing the mirror of her vanity.  
  
Through the years she had discovered the wonders of hair dye. Actually her mom introduced her to coloring her hair instead of wearing the brown wig. Linda had been used to the brown hair color of her hair, instead of her natural blonde color.  
  
With her blonde hair she felt strangely exposed and vulnerable, but with the brown hair it felt to her like she's safe and secure. It kinda like the same logic with other people carrying stuff they don't really need. A spare key, a handkerchief, a pen, or a pocket watch for example. Carrying these things make those people in control, lucky and even safe. It's like their warm blanket.  
  
Linda grabbed her icy green book bag from her bed, strapped it on her left shoulder and headed down stairs to see her parents. She stepped into the kitchen in a hurry.  
  
A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, placed on her usual spot at the table attracted her attention. With her thick biology book in one hand, she picked up the glass with her free hand and gulped it down straight. The chilly citrus taste flowing down her throat always made her whole system pumped up.  
  
"Can't eat breakfast." She walked towards her mom as she planted a kiss on her cheek. "Gonna miss the bus again."  
  
Linda strolled around the table to kiss her father on the forehead, all the while not noticing the stunned look on his face when she got in the room.  
  
"Bye!" Said Linda heading for the door.  
  
"Linda." Mr. Danvers uttered before she had the chance to leave.  
  
"What now?" She thought turning on her heels to face him.  
  
"Yes dad?" Linda asked with a smile plastered on her lips.  
  
"What's that you're wearing?" Her father queried referring to her black and white stripped, haltered top that exposed her flawless back and mid section. She bottomed the ensemble with her dark denim pants.  
  
"A top." Answered Linda looking down on the fabulous creation.  
  
"Says who?"  
  
"Esprit." She answered plainly.  
  
"Oh no! No! You're not going to school wearing that-." Fred racked his brains for something to call that piece of clothing. So he finished, "Thing."  
  
Linda was not shocked to hear that coming from her father. This is not the first time that Mr. Danvers prohibited her to swear sexy clothes to school. He was an old fashioned kinda guy and it always drove Linda nuts!  
  
She gave his father a hurt look, even though deep inside she knew he wouldn't buy it. When that didn't work, she turned her gaze on her mom to back her up.  
  
Mrs. Danvers shrugged and gave her daughter a 'go-get-something-to-put-on- top-of-that-ensemble' look. Just by looking at her mother, Linda knew what she was telling her.  
  
She groaned, placing her things on her chair and disappeared from the kitchen. A minute later she ran down the stairs with a black, cotton sweater on.  
  
"Satisfied?" Linda retorted picking up her book and bag from the chair.  
  
"Better!" Fred praised noting how the long sleeves of the black sweater covered his daughter's arms and especially her back and tummy.  
  
Linda stared at her mom who gave her a weak smile. She returned it with a 'thank-you-for-not-helping-me' smile.  
  
"You look decent, very lady like. Compared to just wearing that 'top' alone, you looked-." Her father paused again, thinking of the right word to describe the look.  
  
"Slutty?" She finished for him, pressing her lips together after that.  
  
"Well-." Is the only word that he managed to mumble.  
  
"Don't worry dad the 'Slut' position in school's already taken." Kidded Linda walking for the door that would lead in the hallway. "Fashion victim's up for grabs though."  
  
Lowering her gaze on her sweater she added, "Think I'm gonna run for that one. Wish me luck."  
  
"Good luck!" Mr. and Mrs. Danvers wished her in unison. They looked at each other and chuckled afterwards.  
  
She made a face at her parents.  
  
"And I'm off." Linda said it like she was about to fly out of the front door.  
  
Her dad may be old fashioned, strict and a bit nutty at times, but those are the things that she's thankful for often. It meant that he cares for her, that he values her feelings. Linda's got the most wonderful parents in the entire world and she knew that. She couldn't ask for anything more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'll call you tonight, ok?" A hunk called out as he climbed off the school bus with Linda Danvers.  
  
"Oh no please gawd! No!" Linda wanted to tell the annoying guy, but instead she replied with a sweet 'ok' and a fake smile.  
  
She watched him ran off for the high school field as she gave herself a mental kick at the heels for ever giving that guy her number.  
  
Dylan Jacobs' a member of the high school football team, which automatically made him one of the most popular guys around. He's a senior and as far as Linda knows, he's currently dating Louise Menken, a senior member of the cheering squad.  
  
Linda sighed and commenced walking for the school's entrance when a car honked behind her. Surprised, she turned around and saw a red car moving to the sides of the street.  
  
"Hi Linda." Greeted the raven hair, brown eyed female driver when she rolled down her side of the window.  
  
"Lois, Hi!"  
  
Lucy Lane unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. She slammed the door shut and walked towards her best friend, Linda on the other side.  
  
"Can you do me favor, Lyn? Please keep Lucy out of trouble." Lois Lane uttered fixing her brown eyes on Linda's towering form. "She just had her rabbis shot but just to make sure, watch her for me."  
  
Linda had to laugh at that, tucking a few strands of her brown her behind her ear. Lucy, her best friend, gave her an annoyed look. She coughed and tried to keep a straight face.  
  
"Bye Lois!" Lucy shot back, hugging her books close to her chest.  
  
Lois knew her sister was definitely annoyed and she loved that look on her face. It was priceless.  
  
"Bye Lyn." She said with a small giggle. Then to her sister, "Bye Bye Lucy."  
  
The red car drove off to Lucy's absolute relief. They continued walking for the school entrance as Lucy went on ranting about how irritated she is with her older sister.  
  
The Lane's were originally from Metropolis, Kansas. About eight years ago Mr. and Mrs. Lane separated. They came up with the decision that Mrs. Lane would have Lois and Mr. Lane would have their youngest daughter, Lucy. Technically the couple's not divorced or anything, it's more like a 'cool off period' for both of them.  
  
Mr. Lane, being originally from Leesburg decided to take Lucy with him and live with his parents for a while. Just last year Mr. Lane sent Lucy to Metropolis to be with her mom and her sister and so this year it was Lois' turn to visit her dad and Lucy at Leesburg.  
  
"Why is she still here?" Linda queried taking the lead on taking the first flight of stairs for the school's entrance.  
  
"School starts in Metropolis next Monday." Lucy answered lagging behind her friend with the rest of some students. "I still got a week to injure living with that witch!"  
  
"Why are you so mad with Lois?" She muttered with a giggle, sensing how Lucy seemed to explode at the mere mention of Lois' name.  
  
"For one, she bosses me around. She acts like she's older than me or something."  
  
"Uh-She is older than you Luce." Reminded Linda, furrowing her eyebrows, amused. "A year older."  
  
"Well-." Lucy looked away to come up with a reply. "Yeah, ok she is. But that doesn't give her the right to treat me like I'm a small kid. She's a freshman in High school and so am I! Which only proves, by the way, that I'm smarter than her."  
  
"Oh boy," Linda thought to herself with a discreet sigh. "She's going for that speech again about 'being smarter than Lois'. This is going to be quite an interesting day."  
  
The two friends proceeded walking through the crowded hallways of Leesburg High. 


	5. Leesburg High

Chapter Five  
  
  
  
Students rummaged through their lockers, searching for books for their first period class that day. A group of girls giggled from one corner of the hallway, sharing some juicy gossips with one another.  
  
"LEESBURG HIGH SCHOOL : HOME OF THE RACCOON RENAGADES!"  
  
Reads the black and white banner, in capital bold letters, plastered on the arc of the school corridor. A cute anime drawing of a little raccoon in a black and white helmet gave the banner a wonderful touch.  
  
Football is the number sport in Leesburg High. The students give their all out support to the school's football team, and would watch their games religiously. Even their parents are addicted to the game.  
  
Here in Leesburg High, everyone treats all the members of the football team a god. Every student also revered the snotty cheering squads.  
  
Guys would daydream of making it into the prestigious football team, while girls would fantasize of shaking their pompoms and hanging out with the 'in' crowd.  
  
Just like any other school in America, the popular and the beautiful ruled the entire high school.  
  
"I kinda think she's fun." Linda Danvers mumbled to her friend Lucy Lane, as they elbowed their way into the student filled corridors.  
  
"No Lyn! Take it from the sister, Lois is anything but fun!" She replied firmly, holding her history book with both hands.  
  
From the time they entered the school, Lucy continued telling Linda how annoying it is to live with a sister like Lois. She even pointed out (for the millionth time) that she is far smarter than Lois because she skipped the second grade.  
  
Actually, both Lucy and Linda skipped the second grade. Their teachers noticed their excellent comprehension in skills all of their classes. They passed this information to the school head and they endorsed the students to be promoted to the 3rd grade in the next school year.  
  
The girls took the test and they passed with flying colors. So at 8 years old, Linda and Lucy were already learning with the 9 years old kids. That's when they met and became the best of friends.  
  
"The name Lois and the word 'fun' shouldn't be used in one sentence." Lucy reckoned pointing a finger at Linda for added stress.  
  
Linda shrugged before sighing hard. She needed a drink. Listening to her best friend yapping about her sister's making her way thirsty. Luckily she spotted a water fountain.  
  
Handing her biology books to Lucy, she gathered her long brown hair on one side, to prevent it from making contact with the fountain, as she stepped on the lever to have a drink. Lucy was still babbling away.  
  
"Lyn!"  
  
A familiar male voice hollered when she was finished having a drink. She pivoted her whole body to face who ever owned the voice.  
  
"Hey!" A sandy blond and blue eyed stud came jogging towards them. He flashed both the girls a charming smile and they acknowledged it back with a nod.  
  
"Dick, Hey!" Linda immediately recognized that perfectly chiseled face of his. She realized that he was hiding one of his hand behind his back for some strange reason.  
  
"Just came by to return your notes." Dick Malverne informed handing Linda a green notebook. "And to give you this."  
  
He quickly revealed what his other hand was holding. It was a beautiful white rose.  
  
"I picked that from my mom's greenhouse." The six foot three stud added.  
  
"Thank you." She answered, her smile getting even brighter at the sight of Dick's gift.  
  
"No, THANK YOU!" He shot back, maneuvering both of his big hands to Linda. "Thanks to you, I got to study for Mrs. Finch's test."  
  
"Oh that's today right?" Lucy piped - in noticing that she was somehow left out whenever these two future lovebirds would meet and talk.  
  
"Yeah, second period." Dick relayed, gazing sideways on Lucy. Then he returned his gaze on Linda. "So thank you, again!"  
  
"You're welcome." She uttered with the sweetest voice, pressing her lips together in a smile afterwards.  
  
Dick studied her face, lovingly. Linda never seized to take his breath away. He had known her since childhood. They both came from the Midvale Orphanage.  
  
The first time Dick met Linda, he was instantly reminded of Sister Cecilia, the young nun that was tragically killed in the meteor shower twelve years ago. They both share a distinct way of talking and certain brilliance in their eyes.  
  
As a child, Dick vowed to himself to look after the young Linda Lee. He had grown attached to her.  
  
When he turned five, the Malverne couple adopted Dick. They changed his name into Richard. He loved it, though he asked them to use 'Dick' for his nickname in honor of his real parents.  
  
He left the orphanage feeling utterly delighted, that at long last the Lord answered his prayers, although a part of him felt sad for leaving behind the orphanage and his friends, especially Linda.  
  
Only after a month Edna and Fred Danvers chose Linda Lee for adoption.  
  
Fortunately, they were enrolled by their parents to the same school and met again. From that time on, they got in touched and promised one another to be always together.  
  
As Richard 'Dick' Malverne matured, he realized that he felt more for Linda. It was no longer the brotherly love but something more intense and magical.  
  
"Dick!" Jason Bergman summoned as he slammed his locker shut. Heath Donovan stood next to him, balancing a football ball on his finger. Jason pointed to his wristwatch.  
  
"Oh shoot!" Dick checked his own watch for the time. "Listen, Linda I gotta go. The boys and I are gonna try out for the football team. So I'll see 'ya 'round?"  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
"Ok." He mumbled as he started to take a couple of steps backwards from Lucy and Linda. Dick waved ones, turned and started jogging to join his friends.  
  
"Good luck!" Linda called out before Dick and his friends vanished, on their way to the school field.  
  
Lucy noticed the way Linda looked and talked to Dick Malverne. Her eyes were still fixed into space and a wide smile played at the corner of her lips.  
  
Lucy snapped her fingers in front of Linda's face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing." Lucy uttered, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes.  
  
They continued walking through the corridors with the other students. Linda and Lucy were heading for their lockers.  
  
"If it's not for the smile, I swear I wouldn't believe that that's the same Dick Malverne from grade school." Lucy spoke to her friend. "He left Leesburg at sixth grade and only after three years of living in California, he came back looking like a total stud muffin!"  
  
Linda just nodded in response.  
  
Dick was not ugly or anything in grade school, as a matter of fact he was one of the cutest kids around.  
  
"There must be something with their water." Reckoned Lucy, hugging her books tighter.  
  
Linda nodded again. She approached her locker, punched the combination as the lock popped open. Searching through the contents of her locker, she heard Lucy murmur something.  
  
"Go get a room."  
  
Stunned with the comment, Linda turned around to see that Lucy was not talking to her. She followed her gaze and realized that her best friend was staring at a couple, who were playing tonsil tennis with one another.  
  
She recognized it to be Susie Kendall and Tim Eigenman. Susie had on the black, white and gray colored squad uniform while Tim, her official lap dog, was wearing his letterman jacket proudly.  
  
To Lucy's utter horror, Susie broke free from Tim's arms and started for her location. The bleached blonde bitch heard the comment! Annoyance and pure evil was evident on Susie's face.  
  
"What did you say?" Susie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
The students that were passing by stopped on their tracks to witness what's gonna happen next.  
  
"Cat fight! Cat fight!" They all thought.  
  
Lucy swallowed hard. Susie Kendall's in front of her with one eyebrow raised.  
  
Nothing came out of Lucy's mouth when she tried to speak. Fear got the better of her. The sight of Susie's razor sharp finger nails attracted her attention.  
  
"I'm waiting freshman." Susie said, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. Tim Eigenman stood behind his girl, though his eyes were fixed on Linda Danvers.  
  
She could feel the heat of Tim's stare and she knew exactly what's going on inside the jerk's mind.  
  
"Gawd not homeroom." Linda piped - in, to Susie's surprise.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"That's what she said, 'Gawd not homeroom'." Lied Linda as she anchored her left arm over Lucy's shoulder for comfort.  
  
Susie paused. Eyes squinted, she pondered what Linda just told her. Her monthly hair bleaching session must've affected her brains, coz after a few seconds she bought Linda's excuse.  
  
"I thought I heard her say 'go get a room'-" She expressed, narrowing her eyes on a terrified looking Lucy Lane.  
  
Linda faked a snort.  
  
"Oh no she wouldn't say such a thing. Believe me."  
  
Susie shifted her gaze to Linda this time. She studied her, beginning from her heels and all the way up to her bewildered face.  
  
"Slap me and I'll crush your head with my bare hands." Linda thought. "Wait- wait-wait-that's messy. What about-."  
  
Before she could finish with her thoughts, Susie pulled out a turquoise colored leaflet from her hot pink binder, tucked under her arm. She handed it to Linda.  
  
It was a flyer for the audition for the school cheering squad. "Try out's tomorrow." She informed, keeping her snotty attitude at work. "Let's see if you've got the talent to match that look of yours."  
  
With that Susie 'the-triple-B' Kendall walked off as Tim lagged after her like a lovesick puppy.  
  
Linda's not sure if she's gonna be flattered or offended by Susie's comment. She regarded the fact that Linda's beautiful, but at the same time she doubted if she's got any talent.  
  
"Linda, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Lucy commenced talking when Susie was no longer in sight.  
  
Linda shook her head in disbelief. She slammed her locker shut and strolled with Lucy for their first period class.  
  
"Luce, next time try not to talk trash when the subject is within ear shot." She reminded, reading the leaflet while walking through the halls.  
  
"Duly Noted." Replied Lucy, regaining back her normal breathing.  
  
She regarded how absorbed Linda looked with the cheering squad try out advertisement. Lucy was amazed that Linda manages to navigate her way through the hall without bumping into any of the students. She never seems to take her eyes off the turquoise paper.  
  
"Oh no. Oh no, please gawd no!" Lucy spoke out with a worried dramatic tone in her voice.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Linda noticed the way Lucy was staring at her, when she looked up from the flyer. She was looking at her as if a second head just popped out of her neck or something.  
  
"Please don't tell me you're entertaining the idea of joining the squad!?" Retorted Lucy to Linda.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Opening her notebook on the last page, Lucy showed Linda what she had written down on the back.  
  
-The Oracle / School new paper -Speakers Society -Science Club -Music Club  
  
At the bottom page is a drawing of a heart with a note that reads: 'Tim Eigenman Loves Lucy Lane Forever.'  
  
Linda smirked when she saw that. Lucy covered it with her hand, embarrassed. That explains why Lucy hated Susie Kendall's guts so much.  
  
"Tim?" She mumbled with a grin on her face. "What ever happened to the Lucy- I'm-never-gonna-fall-for-a-football-beefcake-Lane that I know?"  
  
"Shut up! We'll discuss that later!" Her friend shot back, turning red. She pointed to the clubs she listed again at the top page. "See? I took the liberty to list down the 'cool' clubs that we can join together. This is why you cannot join the squad, Lyn."  
  
"Are you aware that for the past 6 years, we always join clubs together?" Linda pointed out with a sigh. "It wouldn't surprise me if half of the student population in Leesburg thought we're lesbos!"  
  
Lucy leaned against the doorframe of their first period room. Some of the students were already seated, and their professor is nowhere in sight.  
  
Hands over her chest she stated, "No! No! I know what this is about! You're bored of me! You'd rather join that evil pompom squad than spend time with me! You're best friend in the entire world!"  
  
"Easy Lucy! It's the cheering squad not some satanic cult." Said Linda with a little snort as they entered the classroom.  
  
They settled down on their seats and continued with their discussion.  
  
"You know what? That's ok. Just you wait when I go back to Metropolis." Lucy told her. Everything's going great with Mr. and Mrs. Lane now. They're somehow beginning to patch things up. Both Lois and Lucy reckoned that in about a year or two, their parents would get back together and they will be one complete family again.  
  
"You'll miss me to death and regret the day that you ever chose those cheerleaders over me!" She added.  
  
"I'm sure I will."  
  
"Yeah you can be sure of that!"  
  
"Geez, so I guess I should start an audition for a new best friend." Kidded Linda with a small giggle.  
  
"Great idea." Lucy commented.  
  
At that exact moment a girl with the silkiest long crimson colored hair entered the classroom. She was talking on her matchbox size mobile phone. Jewelry adorned the 5 foot 6 teenager with the pale skin complexion.  
  
Her body garbed with the latest designer clothes and on her feet is a pair of the most expensive Italian shoes.  
  
Her name's Lena. Daughter of the social elite and multi-billionaire, Elizabeth Thorul.  
  
Everyone present in the room watched her.  
  
Lucy remarked, "And I think we have contestant number 1."  
  
Linda and Lucy paused. Then their eyes met.  
  
"Nah!" They uttered in unison. 


	6. The Bluest Eyes

Note: I'd like to stress out that this story takes place at least 2 years before the events of The Earth Angel. Linda's still developing some of her powers and Lena Thorul is not yet her best friend at this time.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
The day at Leesburg High was slow, as usual. Students were falling asleep in their classes as their teachers torture them with never ending lectures, surprise quizzes and assignments. Whoever invented school should be crucified or burned at the stakes.  
  
Coincidentally, the practice of the school football team and the cheering squad got finished about an hour ago. The rest of them got back to their classes while others decided to hang outside the school.  
  
"Come here," Invited seductively by an ebony skinned beauty to her boyfriend, peering through the half opened door of the janitor's room.  
  
"Louise," Called out Dylan Jacobs with a playful grin on his face.  
  
"I wanna show you something." Louise Menken twirled a strand of her curly black hair with her finger. She batted her long eye lashes for added charm.  
  
Like a moth drawn to a flicker of flame, Dylan followed his girlfriend inside the small room. But just before he entered, he made sure that the coast was clear and that no one saw him enter.  
  
Luckily for them, the janitor's room Louise picked was located at the far end of the building, under a stairwell, where students rarely passed through.  
  
Dylan studied the contents of the floor wax smelling rat hole. Buckets of floor waxes and a bunch of brand new floor mops were gathered in one corner of the dimly room.  
  
The room stinks. No a good place to hang out. If it wasn't for Louise, he wouldn't be caught dead entering the God forsaken room.  
  
Louise literally jumped unto his hormonally pumped up boyfriend. Dylan slipped his hands from under Louise's short skirt, caressing her supple buttocks in the process.  
  
Both of them kissing each other passionately.  
  
Only a flickering old light bulb illuminated the place. After a while, Louise broke free from kissing Dylan and just stared straight into his ocean blue eyes.  
  
Suddenly, Dylan noticed a small drop of blood flowing down from Louise's right eye.  
  
He furrowed his eyebrows. Dylan placed her back down on her feet and then brushed the drop of blood with his finger.  
  
"You're bleeding." He commented, confused, checking the smudge of blood on his finger.  
  
Louise was obviously stunned when he said that. She took a step backwards and touched the blood on her right cheek.  
  
"Oh no!" Mumbled Louise. She blinked ones and felt hot tears escaping her eyes.  
  
Turning around to face a small mirror on the wall, she found out that it's not just ordinary tears but tears of blood. Louise frantically brushed away the streams of blood and just managed to smear it even more.  
  
As if seeing your girlfriend crying blood is not enough to shock a teenage guy, Dylan's body went completely numb when Louise turned around to face him and witnessed one of her eyes fall out from its socket.  
  
The eye hits the floor with a squishing sound. He looked up at Louise and shivered at the sight of the dark and empty eye socket. She's only got one eye left.  
  
Dylan backed off but Louise was quick and immediately pounced on him. She grabbed the collar of his letterman jacket and slammed him hard against the wall. Instantly, Dylan became unconscious. "Sorry baby." Louise uttered under her breath as she reached out and started to pull off one of Dylan's eyes. Blood squirted everywhere.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It didn't take long for the students to notice the smell of fresh blood coming from the janitor's room. They were mortified when a puddle of blood started to form on the floor outside.  
  
The news reached the local Leesburg police department and without delay they sent their best investigators and police officers to the high school. Students gathered at the scene of the crime, watching the officers do their work.  
  
From one side of the stairs, Louise Menken was sobbing really hard while being questioned for her boy friend's death. She claimed that she was in the girl's locker room taking a shower when she suddenly heard Dylan scream. Louise advised the investigators that it was only then that she found his dead body.  
  
"Everything's under control." Informed one of the police officers to the crowd of students. "So everyone please vacate the area, now."  
  
Principal Gregg Lisbon, a tall man on his fifties with grey hair and a wrinkled façade, prodded the students to leave the scene of the crime. The students walked away, still talking about the horrible fate that ended Dylan Jacobs' promising life.  
  
"I can't believe he's dead." Linda Danvers muttered to her best friend Lucy Lane while they headed for their lockers. "We were talking on the bus this morning and the guy even asked for my number. Weird."  
  
"Well, they didn't call Leesburg Bizarro Land for nothing." Lucy reminded as she stopped to open her locker. She dumped her bulky books inside and slammed the locker shut.  
  
"Ever since those meteors got here twelve years ago, bad and weird things began happening in Leesburg." She added. Linda rolled her eyes when she heard that comment coming from her.  
  
"Here you go again with that meteor theory Luce." She replied as they commenced walking through the corridor. "You know very well that the scientist dismissed that mutation hypothesis via the green meteor rocks."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Lucy stopped on her tracks to face her friend. "Then how can you explain those supernatural occurrences?"  
  
They were already out of the school building by this time.  
  
"A seven year old boy that can lift a Volkswagen car, a man that can breathe fire? What about the girl that could enter your dreams and kill you? Mary Stevenson right?" Lucy mentioned some of the bizarre powers the town people of Leesburg are developing. "Then this happened to Dylan. How can you explain that?"  
  
"I can't." Linda simply answered, sitting down on a small bench situated under a shady tree. Lucy crashed next to her.  
  
"Poor Louise." Lucy expressed, giving out a sigh. Linda just nodded in response.  
  
Silence filled the air between them for a while, thinking about the tragic end of Dylan Jacobs.  
  
"I bet I can easily get into The Oracle if I could get any details about the crime." Lucy suddenly murmured with a far away look. All this time she was thinking about the ways she could join the school newspaper.  
  
"I think I can help you in that department." Replied Linda with a wink.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Have doughnuts!" Linda announced as she entered the Leesburg Police Station that same afternoon.  
  
A chubby female police officer in the front desk greeted her with a warm smile. She placed down the phone and leaned forward the desk.  
  
"Oh Lyn! You're a life saver!" Officer Jane Austin declared. "I'm starving!"  
  
Linda flashed her back a smile. She opened up the doughnut box, took out pieces of tissue papers and spread them on Officer Austin's table then she put down 2 pieces of her favorite doughnuts.  
  
"So Jane," Linda started to muttered, licking off the excess doughnut icing on her fingers. "Is my dad in there?"  
  
Jane nodded as she took a huge bite off the delicious doughnut. She was enjoying every bit of it.  
  
"I heard about what happened in your school." Officer Austin said with her mouth full of semi grinded food. "Terrible."  
  
"Yeah." She retorted with a saddened tone in her voice. "I actually came here to talk about that incident with my dad."  
  
"Oh. Go right in." The female officer advised Linda as she gestured her to the entrance with her free hand.  
  
"Thanks Jane." Linda picked up the box of doughnut and entered the office.  
  
"Thanks for the treat, sweetie!" Jane called out to her.  
  
When her father first took her to the police station at the age of six, Linda was mortified at the sight of handcuffed criminals and policemen with guns on their sides. But when Mr. Danvers explained everything to her, she quickly understood the need for the guns and handcuffs.  
  
"Men of Justice. Protector of the oppressed and the weak." She could still remember those words by her father when she asked what a police officer does.  
  
Linda sensed a tingling feeling at the back of her neck whenever those words echoed inside her head. Little did she know that she would also live by this description and oath in the future. She headed straight to her father's table, her eyes scanning the entire station. She went passed Officer Byrne's table and he immediately acknowledged her with a smile. A Latin looking man in his late twenties sat on a chair before his table with his hands cuffed at his back.  
  
The man gave him an evil look when he realized that Linda was staring at him. Immediately, she took off her gaze and proceeded.  
  
Officer Danvers sat on his mahogany colored office table. Folders, manila envelopes and papers piled up at one side, while a framed picture of him, his wife and their daughter, Linda, rested on the other side of the table.  
  
Fred was currently reading some autopsy report from the bureau about the mysterious death of Dylan Jacobs at the local high school. Just like the other police officers who checked the crime scene, he was baffled. What kind of monster would harvest eyes from people?  
  
Dylan is not the only one victimized by this monster, for the past 3 weeks the station has received at least four incidents of people being robbed of their eyes. Unfortunately for the police, the suspect doesn't seem to have any finger prints.  
  
Fred took off his glasses then massaged his aching temples. He looked up and from a far he spotted his young daughter coming towards him with a big smile on her lips.  
  
"Hi." Linda greeted leaning over the table to kiss her father on the cheek. "I have doughnuts."  
  
"Ok," Mr. Danvers began to say, resting his elbows on the surface of the table. "How much is it?"  
  
She placed down the box of doughnuts and gave her father a stunned look. "So I look like a price tag to you now? I'm not gonna ask you to buy me clothes."  
  
Linda settled on the chair before Officer Danvers' table and continued, "Can't a daughter ever visit her father at work?"  
  
Her father slowly shook his head, beaming Linda a smile. He apologized and explained that he's been trying to figure out the mystery surrounding Dylan Jacobs' death.  
  
"Do you have any suspects yet?" She asked curiously tapping her fingers on the table.  
  
"Well, yes we do. We have several. According to the information we gathered Miss Bla-." Fred's voice trailed off, realizing what his daughter's trying to do. She's fishing for some information.  
  
"Yes?" Linda waited anxiously for her father to go on.  
  
"And here I thought you came to the station motive free." Mr. Danvers pointed out.  
  
"I'm totally motive free daddy!"  
  
Fred tucked the autopsy report in one of the folders and stood up from his chair heading for the file room. Linda also stood up.  
  
"Alright, so I wanted to know some stuff about the murder." Confessed a flushed Linda, following her father around the office. "I wanted to feel safe-or something."  
  
"I'm sorry hon, but we're not allowed to divulge any information about these types of cases."  
  
"Even if-."  
  
"Even if we're family." Fred finished for her daughter. He vanished into the file room of the station as Linda was left outside, thinking.  
  
Just when Linda almost gave her hopes up, she heard someone call her name. It was Officer Ashley Morgan. A junior police officer in training with killer looks. Ashley's tall, he's got warm caramel eyes bordered by long dark lashes and a nice thick brow, cropped brown hair and a great athletic physique.  
  
"Hey!" She said beaming back his smile, lagging behind him as he walked for his table. She noticed that he was holding a cup of steaming coffee in one hand.  
  
"Haven't seen you here in a while." Ashley retorted, placing down the cup of coffee on his neat looking table.  
  
"Yeah, you know, school."  
  
"Sucks?" He queried.  
  
"Big Time!" Linda concluded sitting back on a vacant chair beside Ashley's table.  
  
He gave out an adorable laugh which made Linda's heart melt almost instantly. Growing up, Linda imagined his prince charming to look exactly like this guy. A true gentleman, funny and he looked so good that it hurts sometimes. He's got that heroic aura going on.  
  
Linda used to tease him that he was born to be a police officer. Ashley would then reply that Linda's destined to do great things someday in the future.  
  
"By the way, how's Grandma Morgan?" She mumbled softly.  
  
"She's good." Ashley replied after taking a sip from his cup of coffee. He drummed his fingers on the table, pressing his lips together. "Which reminds me,"  
  
He opened the drawer of his table and retrieved a small rose colored sealed envelope. Ashley handed it to Linda. It was a greeting card from Ashley's grandmother addressed to Lyn Danvers.  
  
A smile formed at Linda's lips again. She looked up at Ashley and found him to be smiling too.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of her, Lyn."  
  
"No biggie. You have to go to work that night. Duty calls." She reminded Ashley tracing the name Lyn Danvers at the back of the envelope with her slender finger.  
  
"I had fun spending time with her. She's a little peevish at first but ones you knocked down her defenses you'll realize how amazing she is. A hardcore chatterbox." She continued with a giggle.  
  
"She couldn't stop talking about you. She kept on asking me when will you be back to visit her." He said.  
  
"Oh, I can drop by your place this weekend."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah. Positive." She answered with a nod.  
  
"Great." Muttered Ashley with a tone of excitement in his voice.  
  
Linda's eyes darted to Ashley's table, scanning for something. The framed picture of Ashley and his girlfriend of 2 months, Meredith Kingston's nowhere to be found. Only the picture of his grandmother's present.  
  
Ashley noticed Linda and he followed her gaze.  
  
"We broke up." Ashley told her, his beautiful face growing sad.  
  
Linda was just quiet.  
  
"About a week ago." He added, looking down on the floor.  
  
"Good." She blurted out.  
  
Ashley looked at her funny at the sound of that.  
  
"I mean I'm sorry to hear that!" Linda cleared with her face blushing furiously. She gave herself a mental kick in the head for that embarrassing remark.  
  
"Really smooth Linda!" She thought to herself.  
  
The man of her dreams looked amused at her with a smirk on his face.  
  
"So-whatcha doing?" Linda started to say with hopes to change the subject as quickly as possible.  
  
"Uh, just currently reviewing reports for your dad." Ashley informed resting his hands on the mountain of plain white folders on his desk.  
  
Something clicked inside Linda's head upon hearing that. She recalled that Ashley was being trained as an assistant to Officer Danvers, which meant that Ashley's handling the same cases as her father.  
  
And somewhere in that pile of folders are the autopsies and police report on Dylan Jacobs.  
  
"Shoot!" Ashley spoke out. "I forgot my wallet in the men's room."  
  
He got up and said, "I'll be right back."  
  
With that Ashley started off, leaving Linda alone. She noted how lucky she is that day. Slowly she proceeded to Ashley's table. She looked around to see if anyone's looking at her. When the coast was clear, Linda began rummaging through the file folders. Using her super speed in reading she was able to find the file she was looking for.  
  
He hurriedly browsed through every detail on the report from the police investigators. It says that Dylan's girlfriend Louise Menken was off the hook since the police didn't find any of her finger prints. A name popped at the upper right corner of the second page, Ms. Angela Black. Then beside the name was an address. Linda easily memorized the details.  
  
The third page revealed a body sketch of the victim. Dylan didn't acquire any wounds on his body. It says that a strong blow at the back of his head might have caused his instant death.  
  
"Eyes had been forcefully extirpated from the sockets." It says on the bottom page.  
  
Linda winced, thinking of how painful it would be to experience that. Questions began forming in her mind.  
  
Why would anyone pull out somebody's eyes?  
  
What for?  
  
What kind of creature would do such a thing? 


	7. It Runs In The Family

Note: Thanks again for the reviews! A couple of chapters more and this story is finished. And Oh, I'm working on the sequel for Kindred (formerly known as The Earth Angel). Special thanks to Kevin for believing that I have the potential and telling me how good I am via email!  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Lionel Luthor walked the grand hall of the WestFork Manor. Every time he passes by that certain area of the manor, he couldn't help but marvel at the astonishing baroque inspired paintings hanging on the fabulously carpeted walls. Age old portraits of his "wife's" ancestors mostly occupied the walls of the passageway.  
  
Elizabeth Hoffman Thorul owns WestFork Manor. Liz, as Lionel would call her, is a multi billionaire in her own right. Even before she met and fell in love with Lionel, she already is someone.  
  
She started the company called Furia, rival to leading cosmetic companies such as Max Factor, MAC and Maybelline. Because of her phenomenal success, she was branded as one of the extraordinary female business tycoon by the Ohio Business Society, Elizabeth has it all.  
  
In everyone's eyes, they thought Elizabeth was living the perfect life. Success, Power, Popularity and an amazing family. What they failed to realize is that she could never have the one thing she ever wanted.  
  
She could never have Lionel by herself.  
  
Elizabeth has to live and accept the painful fact that Lionel has another family back in Kansas. Lillian, Lionel's legal wife and their son Alexander lives in Metropolis.  
  
It seems crazy and twisted if you think about it, but for Elizabeth it was love. She was 2 months pregnant with their daughter Selena when she found out that Lionel already has a family.  
  
As an initial reaction, she was devastated and furious. But for her daughter's sake and her deep love for the bastard Lionel Luthor, she learned to accept it eventually. When Lena (Selena) was born into the world, Lionel was not around to witness it. He was back in Metropolis, busy with his work as usual. Maybe that's why up until now Lionel's trying to give Lena everything that she would want. He was buying her love because he wasn't there for her.  
  
Thus, because of this treatment coming from her parents and being an only child, Lena grew up to be a spoiled brat. Her every wish would be her parents command.  
  
"Good afternoon Mr. Luthor." Greeted a chubby old woman shakily, dressed in servants clothes, when she bumped into Lionel by the hallway.  
  
"Have you seen Selena?" Asked Lionel, not even bothering to say a simple 'Hi' or flash a small smile to the helper.  
  
"Miss Lena's resting by the pool sir." Informed the old lady quickly. The sight of Lionel Luthor scared the heck out of her. Actually everyone in the WestFork household are still intimidated by him, with the exceptions of Mrs. Thorul and Lena of course.  
  
He commenced walking, again not bothering to say 'thanks'. Lionel headed for the west wing of the manor where the Olympic size indoor swimming pool's located. He was excited to see his daughter. It's been nearly over a month since they last saw each other.  
  
Lena Thorul had just come out of the pool when her father walked in. Her two piece Burberry swim suit looked absolutely perfect for her. She strode towards the pool table where Milagros, one of the servants of the manor, had a rich magenta colored bathrobe ready for her. Lena didn't make any effort of merely looking at her father for acknowledgement.  
  
"Selena." Called out Lionel with a smile, reserved only for his daughter, pasted on his wrinkled face.  
  
Towel drying her long damp crimson hair, she said coldly, "What are you doing here? Finally grew a conscience?"  
  
"Now, now," He began to say, stopping at the other side of pool. "Is that the proper way to welcome your father?"  
  
"What d'you expect me to do? Throw a party?" Lena commented sarcastically, finally focusing her sight on him with hate. "After what you did to me?"  
  
"Well," He thought pretending not to recall the whole incident.  
  
Lena became more furious. She put on her bathrobe and stormed out of place almost knocking over her own father in the process  
  
Whenever something bad came up or he forgot something, he'd act like he forgot about it or that he has to pause for a moment and reflect on it. These actions irritate Lena so much.  
  
"Selena." Lionel called out trying to catch up with his ballistic daughter by the hallway.  
  
"No!" Lena turned around, tears threatening to escape from her glorious green eyes. "You don't know what it's like being in that crap hole they call Leesburg High! The food's unbearable and everywhere I look I see filth! You don't have the slightest idea what's it like to sit next to students who are so beneath me!"  
  
"Honey I do." Replied Lionel, his heart growing soft just by looking at his beloved daughter. "How do you think I acquire farm lands for my business? I sit down with filthy farmers and I talk with them. I make them believe what they want to believe, I offer them money and by the end of the day their land belongs to me."  
  
She stared at him, looking for sincerity in what he just told her.  
  
"You're just saying that." Again, Lena stormed away with complete hate.  
  
But still Lionel was trying to pacify her, he loves Lena that much. He couldn't sleep if he knew that she's mad at him. The complete opposite of how he would treat his legitimate son, Lex.  
  
Lionel's cold and quite brutal when it comes to his son. It's no surprise since Lionel's own father treated him the same way. A vicious cycle, a curse inflicted at every man that belongs to the Luthor clan.  
  
Just as the same though, Lionel loves Lex. There's no arguing about that. But he believes that by treating Lex this way, he would learn to be wiser and in control. Just like him.  
  
Anyway, Lex would most likely take over the family business when he's old enough to do it. In Lionel's mind, he's actually doing his son a favor. He's training him to be a Luthor. In heart, mind and even in soul.  
  
Well, with Lena on the other hand - Lionel would like to think that she would be his secret weapon. He gave himself and his 'wife' Elizabeth praise for creating the perfect female specimen. Lena was no doubt beautiful.  
  
Lionel reckoned that no man could ever resist his daughter's alluring charm.  
  
Just like Lex, Lena would play a vital role in the Luthor's future. She would take part in the further development and progress of the family business.  
  
Luthor Corp has a lot of competition and Lionel expects that there would be more in the future.  
  
Temps Corp is their number one competition at the moment. George Sloth Temps has a bachelor son, an heir, Julian. He goes for those beautiful, run way model types of women.  
  
With Lena around, it wouldn't take long 'til he would fall completely in love with her. Although she does need a few changes, attitude wise, other than that she would be the perfect bait.  
  
In due time, when everything is right, Julian Sloth, the heir to Temps Corp would be eating at the palm of Lena's hand.  
  
When you think about it, it's like marrying two kingdoms. Only in this situation Lionel plans to outwit and outsmart the other one. Everything would fall into place ones again, according on how Lionel Luthor would want it.  
  
Lena climbed the elegant grand stair case of the manor, a huge crystal chandelier from the Victorian era dangled from the intricately designed ceiling. Her father was on her tail, still.  
  
"Selena." Lionel called sweetly again, hoping that his daughter would stop and listen.  
  
"No!" Lena's scream echoed throughout the humongous manor. "Just leave me alone!"  
  
Finally, Lena entered her glamorously decorated room, truly fit for a princess. She almost slammed the door shut behind her father.  
  
Crashing down on her humongous Victorian bed, she buried her face on one of the moss green floral printed pillows. As if in utter and totally pain, Lena let out a few loud sobs.  
  
A moment later she heard her father talking to someone. He seemed to ignore her dramatic display of torture suddenly because of the intruder. Slowly, she lifted her face from the pillow, pivoted her head and lo and behold, Elizabeth-I'm-the-perfect-mom-Thorul stood next to her father.  
  
Both Lionel and Elizabeth had their arms crossed over their chest, looking straight at her like she's some kind of zoo animal for them to watch.  
  
Mrs. Thorul wore an elegant royal blue business suit, with her long curly auburn hair neatly placed in a bun at the back of her head. Lena reckoned she pretty much inherited her flawless look and her smashing taste for fashion from her mother. Attitude wise, majority of the people she meets thought she got it from Lionel.  
  
Determined, Demanding, Cunning, Straight Forward, Ruthless.  
  
"That was definitely one of your best performance to date, Lena." Elizabeth mocked her own daughter. She could undoubtedly read her like a book. "You had a lot of practice I'm sure."  
  
Lena gave her an evil look. Its times like this that she wanted the ground to open and swallow her mother up. Mrs. Thorul can see right through her and she hated it. The 'I'm-a-spoiled-brat-Everything-is-about-me' act never works on her.  
  
"If only you could exert the same effort on studying and staying out of trouble, I'd be the happiest Mother alive." Continued Elizabeth. Her voice soothing and kind, with a soft hint of British accent charm in her tone.  
  
"If only YOU could spend more time with your own daughter, then I'd be the happiest girl alive." Bit back Lena, sitting straight on her bed, facing her parents by her doorway.  
  
Something in her mother's face told Lena she got to her.  
  
"You meet powerful, well known people who share the same obsessions as you do, and yet you can't put me in a decent school!" Lena added quite harshly. Her father didn't say anything. He was just watching them talk.  
  
"Believe me, your father and I have used all of our connections to get you back in a boarding school." Informed Mrs. Thorul, giving her best to explain everything to her daughter. "But sadly the boarding school councils throughout Europe had black listed you and two of your friends."  
  
The image of a dying nun with a gaping knife wound on her throat flashed back in Lena's mind. Blood was rushing out of the wound. Remembering that scene sent chills down her spine.  
  
Sheryl Finny, Lilith Du Lyonnet and herself got booted out of their old boarding school in Switzerland (St. Bernadette) because of a ritual they did at the night of the red moon. The three of them had always been fascinated with witchcraft, sorcery and the occult.  
  
They would read books of spells and black magic even while having classes. It became their obsession.  
  
One time Lilith came across an ancient Egyptian ritual that promises power to whoever would perform it. She shared it with Lena and Sheryl and instantly they planned everything. It would take place at the night of the red moon, an event sorted out by Sheryl who is a whiz when it comes to translating ancient text and codes.  
  
They had everything figured out. The stuff they need, the words and spells they'd chant but they were missing one thing.  
  
A sacrifice to the blood goddess, Aria.  
  
The text said specifically 'The blood of the one who serves the cross.'  
  
Sheryl and Lilith were pretty high when they voted for the headmistress of St. Bernadette, Superior Yvette Reichen. Lena objected of course but when Lilith promised her power and love, she gave in.  
  
"Ones we achieved what was promised, you can do anything you would ever want, Lena." Lilith told her with that strong French accent in her tone. "Power, Fame, Love. You can have everything and anyone you like. That is what you desire, am I correct?"  
  
Lena gave that a nod. If she'd have the power, she can have everything for herself. Wealth and her parents love. She'd make them proud.  
  
Now, as she sat there in her bed, arguing with her parents about that incident, she convinced herself that she didn't do anything. She merely was on the look out while Sheryl and Lilith performed the task of collecting blood from the nun.  
  
She never realized that they would actually try to kill her. When she saw the headmistress's dying form on the floor with blood gushing out of the knife wound, she froze in absolute shock. Lilith and Sheryl had to drag her out of the room.  
  
"The immense popularity of your stunt even got to local shores." Lionel Luthor finally spoke up, head bent down, a little disappointed with her. "That is why we can't get you in any boarding school in America, Selena. No one would admit you after-."  
  
Mr. Luthor stopped upon seeing tears in Lena's eyes.  
  
"Say it!" She uttered, her voice shaking while anger was evident in her teary eyes. "After we almost killed that stupid nun!"  
  
"Almost?!" Elizabeth was enraged by her daughter's words. "The poor nun is on life support because of you and your friends! She's immobile, unable to talk or even merely open her eyes! She's as good as dead, do you know that?!" More tears spilled from Lena's green eyes, she didn't bother to wipe them. Lionel meanwhile wanted to rush to her side and comfort his grieving daughter.  
  
He would probably careless if it was his son Lex who was crying. He'd probably ask him to stopping acting like a wuss and get over it. Or maybe he'd think of something more cruel and heartless to say to him.  
  
Then again, Lex never showed any weak emotions since her mother, Lillian, passed away. He became cold.  
  
"You're lucky we were able to bribe the Swiss authorities and the religious congregation Sister Yvette is involved in, to stop the charges and dismiss the case." Elizabeth Thorul muttered, her tone slowly going back to its normal volume.  
  
It pains her to see Lena suffer as well, but sometimes you just have to make her feel that way so she would learn.  
  
She went on, "Frankly Selena, I don't know where you get your fixation on the occult and sorcery."  
  
"Do you really need to ask?" Lena answered with sarcasm, her flushed cheeks wet from tears. "You scour the entire world for your obscure collections! You gather books about the unexplained! You have those weird idols and totems lined up in your precious chamber!"  
  
Mrs. Thorul massaged her forehead, suddenly. She cannot believe they're actually having the discussion again about her collection chamber.  
  
"That's it exactly! Collections! They're nothing but collections!" Elizabeth pointed out. "I do not do or perform rituals with them! They are merely for my entertainment. Collecting them is my passion."  
  
Lionel moved closer to her 'wife', holding her by the arms to calm her down.  
  
"Maybe sorcery's my passion as well!" Their daughter started to say mid shout, her voice stronger and her eyes fiercer. "Maybe that's what I want to do all my life! Create magic! Maybe I don't want to freakin' study anymore and be the most powerful sorceress the world has ever known!"  
  
Those words stunned her parents more than anything. They could not believe that Selena would say such a thing.  
  
A moment of silence followed that.  
  
"You frighten me Selena." Elizabeth mumbled softly, tears were threatening to fall from her sad eyes. "Sometimes it's like I don't know you anymore."  
  
With that she left the room. Lionel stared at Lena for a few seconds. Lena maintained a brave face for him. She wanted to know what he was thinking. Is he mad at her?  
  
He walked out of the room shortly, definitely off to follow his 'wife' and console her.  
  
"They won't understand our need for magic." Sheryl's voice still echoed inside Lena's head, months after they parted ways.  
  
For Lena, only Sheryl and Lilith understood her. They all came from wealthy families who treat their children like accessories. They don't have any freedom. For all they know their parents are the ones who maps out their future for them. 'You'd be this, you'd be that.'  
  
Parents like Lionel and Elizabeth.  
  
"They'd look at me and decide what I will be someday. When I myself am still figuring out who I am, what I want to be, what I wan to do." She brushed her tears with the back of her hands gently. For a split second she wondered if Sheryl and Lilith are experiencing the same thing.  
  
Where are they?  
  
Lena wanted to stop crying, though weird enough she couldn't.  
  
Raged, guilt and a lot of painful emotions swirled inside her. She wanted it out.  
  
An idea popped momentarily.  
  
Her mother's chamber.  
  
She sprung out of her bed with elegance. Marching for the chamber located at the upper east wing of the manor, Lena was careful not to bump into anyone. Just the thought of what she is about to do excited and brought freedom in her heart.  
  
Her mother would probably be outraged when she finds out, but what the heck. It's not like there's any worse punishment than going to a school like Leesburg High.  
  
On the hallway leading to the chamber, she spotted a sealed up bottle of red wine settled on a sterling tray. She grabs the bottle by the neck and commenced on walking.  
  
"Lucky me." Lena murmured to herself when she got to the chamber's door and realized that it wasn't locked.  
  
With enough effort she was able to push the heavy doors open.  
  
The chamber was huge. The chandelier that dangled from the ceiling was turned off and only the ample amount of sun light that leaked from the huge glass windows of the room illuminated the place entirely.  
  
From each side, idols, dolls and totems from different remote regions of the earth were lined up, as if chess figures ready to do battle with each other. From the opposite side of the room, stacks and mountains of books were carefully placed in shelves.  
  
On another area weird tribal costumes and shaman staffs from Africa, Southeast Asia and Southern America were on display. Her mother must've probably spent millions and millions of dollars to have all those stuff.  
  
A long mahogany table stood in the middle of the rectangular room. Things dating back from the ancient times were caged in glass with golden strips serving as their labels.  
  
A metallic hand that most likely was a part of a complete armor was on top of the table. Diamond shaped emerald stones were planted on each knuckles.  
  
"Hand of Poseidon."  
  
It reads. "Believes to have the power over water."  
  
She almost snorted when she finished reading that bit. Her mom's definitely a wacko to ever believe that.  
  
Lena walked a long and saw another interesting artifact. A golden knife with an Egyptian lady engraved on the side.  
  
"Dagger of Osiris."  
  
Below the word was some sort of Arabic or Egyptian writing.  
  
"Power to revive the dead." It says. Then there's a short explanation on how it could bring someone to life again.  
  
"Stab deceased by the heart." Lena read out. She gave out a giggle. Reading this weird thing's already making her feel better.  
  
They're so stupid that they're funny!  
  
Shaking her head, she did not bother reading the other pieces. She has seen some of them a long time ago.  
  
At the center of the spacious room a wide dark sheet of velvet covered something. Whatever is in there must be priceless.  
  
Slowly she removed the fabric, revealing something she had never seen for a long long time.  
  
The glass sphere.  
  
As a kid she would refer to it as a massive fish bowl because it looks like one, only it's sparkly and thicker. No one, not even her mother's team of experts knows what it is, or what it is for.  
  
Lena checked the golden label at the wooden nest like base of the sphere. It's still blank. It doesn't say anything. From way back her mother had that deep obsession of unlocking the secret of the sphere. She hired people to investigate privately but they could only speculate that it was a ship or some sort.  
  
The material that was used in creating the ship was not even glass. It mimics glass but is completely a different material all in all. Earth doesn't have that kind of thing. They all concluded that it must be from another planet.  
  
From what planet?  
  
They don't know exactly.  
  
"The 'thing' who used that ship is the only one who can answer that question, Mrs. Thorul." One of the experts said.  
  
When asked where Elizabeth got it from, she chose not to answer.  
  
"The black market." Was always her reply.  
  
No doubt this glass sphere before Lena was her mother favorite collection.  
  
She could already imagine the look on her mother's face when she sees this 'thing' smashed into bits. It would be priceless.  
  
A Kodak moment for Lena.  
  
Lena took a couple of steps backward, maintaining a safe distance. She raises the bottle of wine, grabbing it firmly by the neck like a bat.  
  
With hate she swung the bottle and smashed it against the glass sphere.  
  
A loud sound that almost seemed like a shriek followed that. It's like someone or something got hurt. Lena had to close her eyes and cover her ears to prevent her eardrums from popping out.  
  
Goosebumps came, then she checked.  
  
To her absolute disappointment, the sphere never even produced a small crack. The bottle got smashed and wine cascaded at the side of the sphere, but it was not damaged at all.  
  
That was not the only thing that gave her the creeps. She stood there asking herself,  
  
"Who the hell shrieked?" 


	8. Rattled

Note: Thanks for the reviews/comments! Don't worry I will be going back to the first scene of this fic on the next chapter. And by the way, when I typed 'shrieked' in Chapter seven, I was talking about the ear drum shattering sound/tone of a shriek. Not really a human kinda shriek. Thanks! Reviews please!  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
The full moon that hovered above the heavens casts its light unto the figure of a man and a woman laying comfortably flat on the grassy field somewhere in Leesburg.  
  
"There's one." Dick Malverne pointed upwards, while cradling the back of his head with the other hand, for support.  
  
He was referring to the shooting star that beautifully blazed across the diamond studded midnight sky.  
  
"Wow." Linda Lee Danvers said in complete awe upon seeing it. "That's the third one this night. Amazing."  
  
"Nah." Her companion objected.  
  
Linda found herself, suddenly, looking straight at Dick's intense blue eyes. His lips formed into an enticing sweet smile and that heroic jaw says hunk. He sat up straight. Not taking off his gaze at the fair Linda, Dick leaned closer. Their faces inches apart from each other.  
  
"You're even more amazing." He whispered to her. They started kissing passionately, both their eyes closed for added pleasure and excitement.  
  
She could feel Dick's hand under her short plaid skirt, gently caressing her soft left thigh.  
  
Momentarily, He ended the kiss for some reason. Dick got up and turned around, staring at dark unknown. She wanted to ask 'why?' or 'what did she do?'.  
  
Linda was about to open her lips to say something when without warning Dick jumped on top of her. He grabbed both of her hands and pinned her down to the ground.  
  
She tried to get up though she couldn't. She felt powerless. Then Linda noticed it was no longer Dick Malverne holding her down. It was someone else. A guy with dark and the most soothing blue eyes looked back at her. Linda had the impression that he was not going to hurt her. He merely wanted to tell her something.  
  
The man uttered a word rather vaguely. The only word she understood was the word 'small'. Another word followed that, though she could not understand.  
  
His face moved nearer and this time Linda could almost see the outline of his face. But still she couldn't get a better look at him. The tears that were flowing from her eyes made it even harder for her.  
  
"Kal?" She asked the man. And something deep inside of her confirmed that she is indeed correct. This is Kal El. The long lost cousin she's been looking since she arrived on this planet.  
  
Before the anonymous figure could respond, the scene started to fade away. The image of the man she called Kal melted, blending rather rapidly with the color of the night.  
  
It was then that Linda felt something pushed against her entire body. She fluttered her eyes slowly and for a moment thought that she was lying flat on her face on the floor.  
  
She was startled when she realized that she was not on the floor, but instead she was up on the ceiling of the room. Linda turned her head and from the corner of her eye she could see how high she had floated from her bed.  
  
"Calm down." She conditioned herself.  
  
Pressing both her hands against the ceiling, she tried desperately to extend her arms to push herself down a little.  
  
It worked, she managed to put a few inches of space between her body and the ceiling. But as soon as she released her hands, she found herself sticking back to the blasted ceiling of her room.  
  
She wondered if something is causing it. Like maybe something strange happened while she was asleep and it caused the entire city of Leesburg to lose its gravity.  
  
Linda was quick to scratch that theory when she noticed that she was the only one floating in her room. Mr. Wiggles, her teddy bear was down there sitting comfortably on her bed.  
  
Mr. Danvers entered the kitchen and headed straight towards the small table, where the family usually eats breakfast. Mrs. Danvers greeted her husband with a sweet 'Good Morning' while she was busy setting up the food on the table. She noticed that her husband merely murmured a 'Morning' as he sat back on his chair.  
  
Fred had one of his arms rested on the table while he was reading something on the stapled white paper he was holding. With his thick dark eyebrows furrowed, making his forehead wrinkle up, he was too absorbed with what he was reading that he failed to acknowledge the fact that his wife pulled out a chair and sat beside him, observing.  
  
"Another one of those supernatural crimes?" Edna queried to her husband, looking over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the Police report.  
  
He almost jolted from his seat when she heard her speak. Fred looked at his lovely wife, let out a weak smile, kissed her and went back to his reading.  
  
"It never seems to end." Mr. Danvers replied suddenly, eyes still fixed on the papers, shaking his head. "Every week something strange happens in this city. If it's not a monstrous animal that feeds on humans, it's people who develop meta-human powers."  
  
Mrs. Danvers placed a hand over Mr. Danver's over stressed shoulder. He was reviewing the police files and medical reports last night. She wondered if her husband slept at all.  
  
Fred was a hard working police/detective officer. That's what Edna loved about him. As a young police officer back then before the meteor shower, Fred's face would appear all over the newspapers in town, for solving crimes.  
  
Ones the LEESBURG TRIBUNE awarded Fred as man of the year for being a model police officer.  
  
But ever since the meteors crashed on Leesburg twelve years ago, unexplained things began happening. And it made things even harder for Fred and the police squad of Leesburg to apprehend the criminals. They could barely put some of those 'super' criminals in prison.  
  
If a police officer from outside of the city would rummage through the department's reports of crimes and criminals for the last twelve years, he would probably reckon that they're sick jokes. No one would ever believe them. Living in the city of Leesburg is like being in the Twilight Zone, where all your most horrible nightmares comes to reality.  
  
Fred pulled a small sheet of paper from the pocket of his brown shirt. He looked at it while loosening up his tie a little. Written on that sheet of paper is a name and a contact number. Below it says 'Sheriff - Smallville, Kansas.'  
  
"Call them." Prodded Edna in a whisper, settling her chin on Fred's other shoulder.  
  
He just stared at that piece of paper, thinking. A couple of weeks ago Ashley Morgan, a police officer in training under Fred, searched online to find out if these supernatural crimes also happen elsewhere.  
  
Ash, as Fred and the other officers at the Leesburg Police Department fondly calls him, found a few websites about crimes done by people who developed super human powers.  
  
One of those websites is operated by a group of high school kids from a town far away called Smallville. He was able to gather some information from their school newspaper site, 'The Torch.', about these alleged sightings and occurrences of the supernatural in their town.  
  
Chloe Sullivan, the editor in chief of the school paper, theorized in one of her articles that the common denominator about these 'mutants' are their long term exposure to these things she calls 'meteor rocks.'  
  
This tickled Ashley's curiosity even more. He searched for the town's history and found out that back in October 1989, a meteor shower also happened in the town of Smallville.  
  
Millions of dollars of property were lost because of the tragedy, not to mention several casualties as well. From the top page of the casualties list two names stood out, "Mr. Lewis Lang and Mrs. Laura Lang."  
  
"Must be a couple." Ashley assumed. Later he couldn't help but feel sorry for them.  
  
Having all these details at hand, he began comparing them with Leesburg's own history. It was obvious that the most common thing that links up the town of Smallville from the city of Leesburg is the occurrence of meteor showers.  
  
It was November of 1990 when the meteors smashed in the town (back then) of Leesburg, a year after it happened in Smallville.  
  
He quickly wrote down on a piece of paper the number of the Smallville police department and handed it to his handler, Officer Fred Danvers.  
  
It was the same piece of paper Mr. Danvers was gazing at, at the moment. He couldn't believe what Ash told him. Meteor rocks mutating people and animals? It's unacceptable for a police officer like him.  
  
Then again he figured, maybe it is true. I mean, how can he explain what he had witnessed for the last couple of years in his job? Maybe it's true after all.  
  
He reminded himself that of all people in Leesburg, he should be the first to believe in this kind of things. After all, he's got a super powered teen living in his house. His adopted teenage daughter who can run faster than a speeding bullet and has the strength of a hundred men.  
  
Fred smiled when he thought of it. Their daughter maybe different, but they sure love her more than anything in this world. He felt proud when he remembered that only two weeks ago, Linda was able to stop a girl her age who can absorb people's life force through their mouth.  
  
Fred acknowledged that Linda had helped them a couple of times in catching the Meta human criminals of Leesburg. She didn't plan the rescue or anything. She was merely at the right place at the right time. Purely accidental. Fred would appear at the scene most of the time with the 'mutant' lying unconscious on the ground.  
  
Linda would soon explain to him what happened and before Fred's back ups arrived, he would ask her to leave.  
  
Even Linda's puzzled why every time something comes up, she would often be there, at that exact place, to rescue someone. What she failed to realize is that it was destiny, giving her a glimpse of what she would become in the future. The people's champion.  
  
"Help!"  
  
The Danvers couple heard a scream coming from upstairs.  
  
Fred's thoughts were shattered at the sound of the cry. They both stood up and rushed for their daughter's room, even though the cry for help was not that alarming. It was more of a calm but loud type of cry for assistance or some sort.  
  
But for the couple, anyway you look or think about it, it was still a cry for help. This meant that their dear daughter Linda, must be in some kind of trouble.  
  
Mr. Danvers ran as fast as he could in the second floor hallway of their house, leading to Linda's room. His frantic wife was right behind him and he could already hear her repeating the words, 'Oh Lord, Oh Lord!' in absolute fear for their daughter.  
  
Fred twisted the door knob and barged inside Linda's room. He looked around the room but she was no where to be seen. Linda's missing!  
  
Edna was also baffled and wanted to cry when she saw the bed empty.  
  
"I'm up here." Linda's voice echoed inside the room.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Danvers followed her voice and were shocked to see her up on the ceiling in her pajamas.  
  
"Oh Lord." Mrs. Danvers let out in surprised. "What happened?"  
  
"I dunno." She answered still struggling to get off the ceiling with her voice cracking as she spoke. "Please just get me down."  
  
Fred climbed up on Linda's bed, stood up and grabbed one of her hands. It was cold. He could tell from her voice that she was afraid. Edna did the same thing and snatched Linda's other hand.  
  
In unison, the couple slowly dragged her down on her bed.  
  
Linda was relieved to finally feel the soft fabric of her bed behind her back. She closed her eyes and observed if she's going to float back again when her parents let go of their grasp.  
  
Thankfully she didn't. Fluttering open her glassy eyes, she rose up and sat on her bed, both Fred and Edna sitting beside her with concern written all over their faces.  
  
"What happened?" Mrs. Danvers fired the question, moving closer to her.  
  
"I don't know." Linda answered, trying to conceal what she was really feeling that time. She was terrified. "I was sleeping. And then when I woke up-."  
  
Her words trailed off, staring into space, pondering.  
  
Then she finished, "I was floating."  
  
A tear escaped from her eye. She was quick to brush it away and sighed heavily.  
  
"Are you Ok Lyn?" Mr. Danvers asked, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. He met his daughter's glassy eyes but she instantly looked away.  
  
"Yeah." Was Linda's simple reply to his question. She faked a small smile as she climbed out of her bed. "I'm ok. Thanks."  
  
Using her fingers, she brushed a few strands of her long brown hair away from her face. Her eyes traveled around the room, starting from her parents who were still on her bed looking at her with sad eyes. Linda then focused her sight on something else, just so she could prevent her parents from noticing the tears that were welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Better get myself ready for school." She desperately tried to liven up her tone when she said that. She followed that with a weak smile.  
  
Unfortunately for her, her parents knows her by heart too much that they can see pass through the 'I'm-OK-Mask' she's putting on.  
  
Linda knew they're not buying it. To end the awkwardness, she marched straight for her bathroom to 'prepare' for school. Leaning forward the sink that was in front of her, she opened the faucet to wash her face.  
  
She rinsed her face several times, then stood up straight again. After drying her face with a towel, she accidentally caught sight of her reflection in the mirror that was nailed above the bathroom sink.  
  
Staring at her own image, she somehow felt the urge to cry. Everyone thinks she normal, almost everybody adores her. Ones in middle school, she was voted Miss. Perfect by her co students in one of the school programs. She is young, she is beautiful and she has a good heart.  
  
But what everyone doesn't know is that this girl in the mirror has a dark secret that she must keep, possibly forever. Only her parents and a few nuns at the Midvale orphanage knew about this secret.  
  
And although she has friends and family who cares about her, she couldn't help but feel alone in this world. Because in reality, she really is.  
  
A part of her already lost hope in ever finding the last one of her kind, 'Kal-El.' Her cousin who was sent here on earth by his parents just before their planet Krypton was destroyed.  
  
Since her arrival in this planet, she was already searching for him. She remembered the time when she calls every young boy her age, Kal.  
  
Of course, everyone has a limit. In time she grew tired of looking for him. Linda told herself that if Kal-El is really out there, sooner or later she would find him.  
  
And when that time comes, she wouldn't be alone anymore. They would have each other.  
  
It didn't take long for Linda to notice her mom leaning at the door frame of her bathroom, with her arms crossed over her chest, looking at her.  
  
Again she wiped the tears trickling down her flushed cheeks. She pivoted her head to look at her. Linda reckoned that her father must've asked her mom to have a talk with her.  
  
"You know," Edna began to say walking inside the bathroom. "It says in the mother's manual that came with me in my box that you can talk to me about anything and anytime."  
  
She flashed her daughter that motherly smile. Linda gets a sense of calmness when her mother does that.  
  
"You're aware of that," Mrs. Danvers added. "Right honey?"  
  
"Of course." Responded Linda softly, again with that fake smile on her lips.  
  
"Then tell me what's wrong, Linda." She encouraged her daughter, her voice hopeful that she would say something. "Tell me how you feel."  
  
Linda returned her gaze into the mirror, studying her crestfallen form. Wrapping her arms around herself, she began letting it all out.  
  
"I'm scared." She confessed, her voice shaking in self pity. "I'm terrified."  
  
Edna's heart broke into a thousand pieces when she witnessed tears in her daughter's blue eyes. She walked up to her and enveloped her in a warm hug.  
  
"Mom, what's happening to me?" Linda sobbed, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. "I don't know what I am anymore. Why is this all happening?"  
  
"Shhhh." Hushed Mrs. Danvers peacefully. She ran her hand on Linda's hair with both love and sympathy.  
  
"Remember what your father and I told you. In time you will have all the answers. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon - soon you will have it, Lyn." Consoled Edna with an air of reassurance in her tone. "And when that day comes, you will look back and be thankful."  
  
Linda felt silent. She was holding on to every words of wisdom coming out from her mother's mouth.  
  
"God chose you. He believes in you. That's why he's giving you all these gifts." She added feeling her daughter's fear and grief at the same time. "In return, you should learn to believe in him Linda. Believe that God has great plans for you."  
  
"Great plans." Linda repeated to herself. Using her knuckles, she dried a tear on her cheek.  
  
She murmured, "I hope you're right." 


	9. Chance Encounter

Chapter Nine  
  
Linda was sporting a silver band bracelet around her left wrist when she came down to have breakfast that same morning. Her mother handed her the bracelet after that crazy floating thing that happened in her room.  
  
Mrs. Danvers felt that it was about time that she gave the bracelet to Linda. She's been keeping it for years now and she figured that it would somehow console Linda and at the same time maybe give answers to whatever is plaguing her mind.  
  
"The nuns at Midvale handed it to us when your father and I adopted you. They said it belongs to you." Mrs. Danvers explained earlier while they sat at the living room of the house. "They said it might be from your parents - your real parents."  
  
Linda's intense blue eyes were fixed on the shiny band on her wrist, fascinated. Weird patterns were engraved all over it.  
  
"Your mother and I tried to decipher those patterns for years, but it's not written in any language or text known to man." Fred informed as he sat next to his wife on the sofa, across Linda.  
  
Just by looking at that thing, she can vaguely recall people's faces and strange names. And then it hits her, when she remembered the name Kal El.  
  
She's been too scared to accept her past before that she was determined to forget all about it. Where she came from, her real parents, her quest for Kal El, who she really is - everything.  
  
It worked for sometime, though ones in a while she would get flashes of familiar faces and events. And when she does, she would shake it out of her thoughts and convince herself that they're not real.  
  
The game was getting harder as she grows older. She got stronger. She's invulnerable to any physical attacks. No bruise, no scratch, no nothing. Not even pimples. Then just recently, she developed super human speed.  
  
There was no way in hell she could continue to convince herself that she's normal. That's when her denial issues became stronger and her reasons became weirder too. For a few moments she told herself that maybe she's just one of those gifted girls in America who turns out to be wrestler material. Something like that brutal wrestler chick called Chynna or some sort.  
  
She's made to crush bones, smash someone's face with her elbows and take steroids for the rest of her life. She imagined how she would become famous because of it. There would be lotsa adoring fans waiting for her in the ring. Most of 'em hormonally driven teenagers who likes violence and two chicks fighting over virtually - well - nothing.  
  
The fantasy was ok for Linda, until she realized what it would be like to be pinned by a muscular woman who's sweating off steroids, literally. She imagined the smell. Horrible. She imagined the costumes. Hideous.  
  
Linda's parents were babbling on about something when she recalled a name. She smiled.  
  
"Zaltar."  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Danvers looked at each other, confused with what Linda muttered.  
  
"Zaltar." She repeated touching the bracelet. "He was my mentor. He was the one who gave me this thing."  
  
Linda looked at her parents and added with a soft voice, "I remember."  
  
The couple was of course happy for her, but at the same time, scared. They were scared that Linda might drift away from them because of these flood of flash backs about her real parents.  
  
Both Fred and Edna were surprised when from out of the blue, Linda mumbled with a mischievous smile on her face,  
  
"D'you think I can sell it?" She was kidding naturally.  
  
A lot of memories about Argo City and her real family are still very much vague for Linda. Maybe in time she would remember. In time she could answer her own questions.  
  
After breakfast, she got a call from Dick Malverne. He was awfully apologetic to Linda because he didn't get to call her last night and he promised. Dick said something about getting home way late last night from school 'cause of the football team try outs.  
  
According to him almost all of the freshmen students of Leesburg High tried out to get in the team but sadly the coach only picked seven to replace the football jocks that left for college last year.  
  
Linda was happy for Dick when he announced that he got in. Although he sounded a bit disturbed when he said that according to the senior players, he still has to undergo through one more thing to 'belong' completely in the team. The traditional newbie initiation.  
  
"That sucks." She uttered, chewing a gum.  
  
"Tell me 'bout it." Dick agreed as he paced around his room. "I heard from one of the guys who tried out for the team last year, that they made all the newbies come to school wearing girls' clothes."  
  
Linda giggled when she heard that. She can already visualize Dick wearing Mrs. Malverne's outfits to school. He would look outrageous. Cute, but still outrageous.  
  
"Oh cool." She kidded, twirling the kitchen telephone cords around her finger. "When that moment comes, you know you could always count on me for fashion tips Malverne? Or better yet, you can just borrow some of my clothes to be on the safe side."  
  
"Tempting offer, really." He answered back, joking. "But then I might get used to it and I'd be eternally known in Leesburg High history as that cross dresser guy from the football team."  
  
"Dennis Rodman-ish." Linda reckoned.  
  
"Freaky." Was all Dick had to say about it.  
  
Around that time Mr. Danvers appeared inside the kitchen and silently mouthed the words, "Get off the phone" to Linda while pointing at a small piece of paper.  
  
Automatically, she figured that her father needs to call someone. From the way he pointed at the sheet of paper plus that distinct brilliance in his eyes that says 'I mean it!', Linda could tell that it's important.  
  
Her sweet morning chitchat with Dick ended rather abruptly. Before Linda could hang up, Dick told her that he will definitely find time and watch her try out for the cheering squad later that day.  
  
She tried her best to discourage him from showing up. Although she is flattered that Dick's way supportive, she thought it would be best if he's not there watching her.  
  
She'd get nervous. Her palms would get sweaty. She'd fidget. She'd keep looking at him. What if she embarrasses herself in front of everyone?! In front of Dick?!  
  
Try as she might, Dick has already made up his mind. He's going to be there for her. End of discussion.  
  
While Linda and Dick was having that talk, Mr. Danvers left the piece of paper he was holding at the kitchen counter, before Linda. He left the room and rushed outside to the living room to find something in his leather bag.  
  
When Linda got off the phone with Dick, she tore a small piece of paper from the sheet on the counter. She removed the gum from her mouth and wrapped it on the paper before disposing it in the half full trash bin.  
  
It was only then that she realized that a name and a phone number were written on the remaining piece of paper. Now it only reads, "Sheriff" and something about a place with a "Ville" in the last part somewhere in Kansas together with a phone number!  
  
Linda rattled her brain for the smartest thing to do. Again, she picked up the phone and dialed the number on the sheet of paper. There was no way she would dig into the trash to look for that tiny piece of paper with her gum.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Clark Kent sat inside the sheriff's office at the Smallville police station that morning. He was brought in by Sheriff Ethan for questioning after an alleged involvement, with a burglary that happened just last night in town.  
  
The storekeeper from the nearby shop claimed that he heard windows being smashed at the local jewelry store. When he went out to check, he saw Clark rushing out from the store and he quickly disappeared in the back alleys.  
  
When asked, Clark said that he was chasing after the original culprits and he was merely trying to catch them.  
  
Jonathan Kent accompanied his son that morning. At the moment Mr. Kent and Sheriff Ethan stepped out of the office to talk. Clark's father was really trying to reason out and convince the sheriff that his son is not guilty of the crime. No jewelry was ever found in Clark's possession.  
  
Clark was telling the truth. He was really trying to stop the robbers. Except he chose not to tell Sheriff Ethan that the robbers of the jewelry store happened to be super powered and they can transform themselves into liquid.  
  
He was deep in his thoughts when suddenly the phone on the sheriff's table rang.  
  
Looking at the glass door, Clark checked if Sheriff Ethan could hear the phone ringing. Unfortunately, it appeared that he didn't because he was still talking to Mr. Kent just outside the office that instance.  
  
Clark returned his gaze on the ringing phone at the same time debating with himself whether to answer it or not.  
  
He gave in. Clark reached for the phone.  
  
At the third ring, someone answered on the other line. Linda heard someone stuttered a "Hello." It was a man's voice. She thought that he sounded awfully young to be a sheriff.  
  
"Hi." Linda greeted, nervous for some weird reason. "I need to talk to Sheriff-."  
  
Her words trailed off when she noticed that the name was missing. It just says 'Sheriff.'  
  
She coughed. "I mean, I need to talk to the Sheriff."  
  
Clark's troubled heart skipped a beat upon hearing the sweet voice over the line. It only usually happens when he's talking to Lana Lang.  
  
"He's-." Before Clark could say another word, Sheriff Ethan and Jonathan Kent stepped inside the office.  
  
It was around that time when Linda's father walked into the kitchen again, holding his reading glasses. He gave his daughter a look.  
  
"Called the Sheriff for you." She uttered handing the phone to her father.  
  
"It's for you." Clark advised Sheriff Ethan as he handed him the phone.  
  
As if in unison, Sheriff Ethan and Officer Danvers both pressed the receiver closer to their ears and said 'Hello.'  
  
Jonathan motioned his son to stand up. He did. Resting a hand on Clark's shoulder, Mr. Kent walked with him out of the room.  
  
"Sheriff Ethan says you can go home for now." He told him with that fatherly smile on his lips.  
  
From the background Ethan was talking to Officer Danvers.  
  
Both Clark and his father was walking down the hallway of the police station when suddenly, he found himself intrigued by that girl who was looking for Sheriff Ethan on the phone.  
  
Strange enough, while Linda was heading towards their living room to get her back pack, she was feeling the same thing. Only Dick Malverne could make her heart skip like that.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The try outs finished about an hour ago and by this time all the hopefuls who tried out for the squad were pretty exhausted. Actually they were anxious to find out the results at first but now, they're just bored.  
  
It took the cheering squad an hour to compute for the scores.  
  
"Will somebody, for the love of Gawd, show those girls how to use a calculator?" Lucy mumbled to the guy sitting next to her on the bleachers, Dick Malverne.  
  
He just flashed a smile on that snotty comment by Lucy. It's not in Dick's nature to be rude but he does sometimes find statements like that funny.  
  
Linda was sitting with the other girls who tried out at the opposite side of the gym. Earlier, when she finished her cheering routine on the floor, in front of the entire cheering squad, she spotted Dick and Lucy at the small crowd that gathered to watch. Lucy gave her a two thumbs up sign for her performance while Dick gave her a cute informal salute with a wink and a smile.  
  
She smiled back at them and waved.  
  
"Ok, everyone listen up." Nicole Hamilton, head cheerleader and bitch extraordinaire, yelled inside the spacious Leesburg High gymnasium.  
  
Everyone let out a sigh of relief when she finally stepped up holding a sheet of paper. They thought that it'll take the squad the whole day to come up with the results.  
  
"Aleeda, Hart, Visconni, Flanagan, Robinson, White, Danvers, Thorul." Nicole called out. "All those whose last name I didn't mention, you can all go now." "Buh-bye." Teased Louise rudely to the other girls who didn't get in.  
  
The three evil cheerleaders, Louise Menken, Susie Kendall and Nicole Hamilton watched as the lucky ones who got in hugged each other with joy. All three had a devilish smirk on their faces.  
  
A quiet Lena Thorul noticed that peculiar smirk. She could tell that these girls are up to something. She sat there looking at the others girls giggling with delight for 'getting in'.  
  
"OhmiGawd I got in." Linda Danvers could not believe it. She could not believe that after all of the weirdness that's been happening in Leesburg and in her life, at last something cool came her way. She's part of the squad.  
  
Linda looked over her friends, Dick and Lucy and they both looked anxious to congratulate her.  
  
Before the squads called it a day, Nicole announced that the squad planned something special for the chosen girls. According her it's a secret and they can't divulge any information yet. Though they'll let the 'newbies' know as soon as they're through with the preparation.  
  
"Something fun and exciting." Lena Thorul quoted Nicole as she left the gymnasium with her things.  
  
"Right." She added, rolling her eyes.  
  
All the girls who got in congratulated Linda. All except Lena Thorul. She's not surprised though, its public knowledge in Leesburg High that Lena doesn't talk or hang out with any student whose trust fund's below a million dollars.  
  
Basically, as Linda and the others computed, no one in their high school has that kinda trust fund except for Lena herself. Ergo, Lena Thorul is a major and absolute loner.  
  
She thinks she's above everyone else.  
  
"Now that you're part of the 'in crowd'," Lucy Lane started to say as they walked out of the gym with Dick. "What's you're next step Ms.Danvers?" Linda just gave her friend an amused stare and a smile.  
  
"Aw c'mon Lyn," She urged pulling her by the shirt sleeve. "Just play a long. "  
  
Linda looked sideways at Dick, as if asking for approval if she'd grant Lucy's request. He gave her a small nod.  
  
"Well," She began, thinking of something to hilarious to say. "I'd hang out with the 'in' crowd to start with."  
  
Lucy's face turned crestfallen at the sound of that. A gentle nudge on her shoulder from Linda assured her that she's only kidding.  
  
Although this maybe the case, still Lucy couldn't help but feel that their friendship is threatened with this latest development in Linda's life. Popular, perky cheerleaders with a body, hair and skin to die for.  
  
How can a flat chested, plain Jane from Metropolis, Kansas compete with those bitches?  
  
"Ones in a while I'd bully the unpopular of course." Linda added, joking.  
  
"Yeah." Dick joined in. "You wouldn't want to break that old age tradition."  
  
"Uh huh." She agreed, pressing her lips together. Then she finished. "Lastly, I'd go get myself a hunky boyfriend."  
  
"Does he have to be in the school football team?" Lucy was back with the questions.  
  
Linda was about to say something when Lucy fired another set of follow up questions.  
  
"Does he have to be blond? Blue eyed? Six feet something? Athletic?"  
  
"Um-." Linda felt her cheeks were beginning to blush. She knew Lucy's describing Dick and she's up to something.  
  
"With a name like - em - um - I dunno," Lucy wanted to laugh when she saw that look on Linda's face that says 'shut up'. "Dick?"  
  
Lucy glanced over at Dick who was by this moment furiously blushing, keeping on that smile on his lips.  
  
How she enjoyed teasing this two love birds with their unspoken feelings for each other. She's been doing it way back. And now that Dick Malverne's back, Lucy's positive that life Leesburg just got more interesting. 


	10. Source

Chapter Ten  
  
"Oh shoot." Linda cursed, suddenly stopping on her tracks. "I almost forgot. I promised Diane Simons from biology that I'd meet her at the school parking lot after the try outs."  
  
"You guys working on that class project already? But it's not due 'til next, next week." Lucy uttered in surprise.  
  
"I know. But you know Diane, she's work, work, and more work." She reminded.  
  
"What about your celebration?" Dick interjected, his face turning crestfallen, frightened that the pizza treat at Fazolli's he had planned for Lucy and Linda may be put on hold. "I mean our celebration. I got in the football team, you got in the squad? C'mon."  
  
Linda furrowed her eyebrows at him.  
  
"WE are going to celebrate Malverne." She retorted with a smile. She took a few steps backwards preparing to leave and finished. "I just need to give some of my notes to Diane and then we'll celebrate like there's no tomorrow."  
  
Ones more Dick Malverne's face brightened at the sound of that.  
  
"We're just gonna wait for you outside, Lyn." Said Lucy as she pulled Dick by the right arm.  
  
"Ok." She swung her blue duffel bag over her shoulder and started jogging to the opposite direction heading for the Leesburg High parking lot.  
  
It'd be easier if she would use her super speed to get there, but she reckoned it wouldn't be safe. Someone might see her use her gift.  
  
Linda was wearing her baby blue sweat shirt together with the matching jogging pants and running shoes. She looked like an athlete with her hair swept up in a pony tail.  
  
She reckoned she would probably get in trouble if the principal would see her jogging at the halls.  
  
"Danvers." Called out a dark haired guy as she passed by at the lockers. "Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks." She replied, continuing to jog.  
  
When she exited the left wing of the building, where the parking lot was located, the warm rays of the sun greeted her. With the use of her hand, she shielded her eyes from the harsh brightness as she began searching for Diane Simons, her lab partner.  
  
The parking lot that can contain at least a hundred cars seemed deserted at this time. Only about 8 to 10 cars are parked apart from each other.  
  
Linda was looking for Diane's car. It was a red old beetle type car which was handed down to Diane by her sister.  
  
She walked around, praying that she would soon spot Diane somewhere, waiting for her. Unfortunately, there was no red beetle car in sight. Diane probably left minutes ago.  
  
Linda pivoted and began strolling back inside the building. She would just give Diane a call later and apologize. She imagined that Diane would go all demonically possessed on her.  
  
The bracelet. She suddenly remembered. She kept it inside her duffel bag before the squad try outs. She stopped, unzipped her bag and rummaged inside that thing until she finally got what she was looking for.  
  
Linda held the silver band, eye level, and watched it sparkled and shined as the sun's rays reflected on it.  
  
Staring at the carvings on the bracelet she realized that it was making sense. She was somehow beginning to understand some of the encryptions. At the bottom of the band she was able to decipher some characters.  
  
"Last Children. Krypton. Rule. Third Planet."  
  
Linda felt her heart pound. It made sense inside her head.  
  
Rulers. Kal-El and herself. Is this a prophecy that they're both bound to rule earth? As King and Queen?  
  
She shook the frightening thoughts away, placing the band on her left wrist.  
  
Again, she walked heading for the entrance of the building. She wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead. If she's right about this, Zaltar and her parents must be telling them, Kal El and herself, of their destiny.  
  
"No." Murmured Linda.  
  
If one day, she would meet Kal El, she would not tell him of their fate. God knows what he will do or think if he finds out!  
  
Kryptonian men are known to have that 'follow' your path/destiny syndrome. They're not really the type who defies orders or what they are told.  
  
Linda tried her best to convince herself that maybe she was wrong with the translation. At this point she's still pretty rusty when it comes to Kryptonian writing 101.  
  
She will try again later. She promised.  
  
Before she could enter the building, Linda heard a vehicle's roaring engine from somewhere, what followed was a loud scream that shattered the air.  
  
Linda is certain that there was something wrong, so she turned and ran to where the scream was coming from.  
  
A black van was parked a few feet away from the exit of the lot. The engine is still running and she spotted Fred Paphakolis from her history class at the driver's seat.  
  
His eyes seemed empty and his face was just blank. The second he saw Linda coming towards the van, he attempted to get out and leave. With her super speed she was able to stop him from getting away. With a mild punch she knocked him unconscious.  
  
It was time to check the commotion happening at the back.  
  
To Linda's absolute shock, she witnessed how Harold Fierce and Keith Duffy were trying to load an unconscious Lena Thorul at the back of the black van.  
  
"Men." She said shaking her head in disbelief. "Whatever happened to chocolates? Flowers? Sweet words and kisses?"  
  
Harold and Keith saw Linda standing a few feet away from them. Keith was supporting Lena's upper body while Harold held her legs.  
  
Linda noticed how expressionless and empty their eyes are, just like Fred.  
  
"What? You decided to skip that part of the chase and move forward to the honeymoon?" Mocked Linda, arms crossed over her chest. "Boys, that is soooo wrong."  
  
Both guys calmly placed Lena down on the ground for them to be able to attack Linda.  
  
Harold clenched his fist, he threw a solid punch into the air, aiming for Linda's face. Unfortunately, she was too fast for him. She easily ducked the punch. Keith also did the same thing, but this time Linda got hold of his fist with just only one hand, when he tried to punch her.  
  
His zombie like façade changed when Linda tightened her grip on his fist. Pain.  
  
Without warning, she felt something wooden hit her at the back. It was Harold. He was holding to an end of what used to be a full baseball bat. The bat shattered into tiny toothpick size pieces when it hit Linda's back.  
  
Linda smacked Keith at the face and he fell down. She then twirled to face Harold, still holding on to the handle of the bat.  
  
When Linda raised her left arm to punch Harold, she was distracted by her silver bracelet. It was glowing for some reason. Her eyes focused on the glowing thing.  
  
It was enough time for Harold to bury his fist in her stomach. He followed that with a blow in her face. That last punch sent Linda staggering backwards. Shock registered in her face.  
  
From among the three guys, Harold was the strong one. He was able to hurt her. Make her feel pain. Heck, she reckoned he could even kill her.  
  
Harold rushed and threw punches at her ones more. She was able to block a couple of the punches but some of them connected at her face and her upper body. She groaned in agony.  
  
Ones more she staggered in pain and disbelief. Only the meteor mutated people of this town can do this to her. All three guys looked normal to Linda. Usually a good sign for her that someone's mutated is when their eyes let out that strange greenish glow.  
  
But Fred, Keith and Harold don't have that.  
  
Linda could no longer take the abuse. She ran for Harold, her fist making contact with mostly his façade. She twirled before executing a roundhouse kick.  
  
And then Linda elbowed him in the face. This time it was Harold who reeled to his back.  
  
That exact moment, Lena was beginning to regain consciousness. Lying on the ground, she moaned. She slowly fluttered open her eyes but could not see anything immediately. Although she heard some sort of commotion. Lena heard people fighting. A man and a woman.  
  
She heard the clashing of the fists meeting with skin. There was bone crunching kicks involved too. The most evident of all the noises would be the groaning of the female as she punched and kicked her opponent.  
  
Linda fell flat on her back when Harold got the chance to smash her face against his knee. She was dazed when she realized that she was lying next to Lena.  
  
What even got her scared is the fact that Lena's starting to wake up.  
  
Harold brought down his right foot hard to the ground, attempting to crush Linda's midsection. She was able to roll away from that attack.  
  
She reckoned it's high time to end this fight before Lena wakes up and see her fighting this guy. How can she ever explain to her that she single handedly took down these three, 6' foot something, muscular jocks?  
  
"Harold you're cute." Linda struggled to say as he wrapped his muscular arms around her body to prevent her from moving or delivering attacks.  
  
She rammed her forehead to his forehead and that made him loose his grip on her.  
  
Linda ducked at the arc of his punch after that. She took a few steps backwards to create some space between them.  
  
"And I like you." She added in the sweetest tone. Linda closed her right hand around Harold's thick neck to stop him from striking. "Really."  
  
With her other hand she finally decked him unconscious.  
  
"But not that much." She finished.  
  
Lena was already sitting when Harold slumped on the parking lot floor. She was rubbing her eyes, trying to get a better look of her surroundings. Luckily, she didn't see all of the action.  
  
When her sight cleared, a familiar face was slouched next to her. At first she thought it was an angel.  
  
"Am I dead?" Lena thought.  
  
And then the 'angel' talked and Lena's whole 'I'm In heaven' illusion was shattered.  
  
"Are you ok?" Linda's façade was full of concern.  
  
"It's that Danvers girl." She murmured, trying to get up from the ground. Linda of course helped her.  
  
"I'm ok." Lena uttered pushing her hands away, as if to say she doesn't need her help to get up. Lena's back in her bratty mode again.  
  
"Are you sure?" Linda mumbled. "Maybe I should get you-."  
  
"I said I'm ok!" Lena interjected, not even allowing her to finish her sentence. Her voice was firm and tough as she raked long strands of her crimson hair away from her face.  
  
With one hand on her hips, she massaged her throbbing forehead. The chemical from the towel Harold covered her nose with, must've caused her to fall asleep for a short while.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" Lena retorted, staring at the unconscious bodies at the lot.  
  
She continued to massage her forehead as she shot her sight to Linda for some answers.  
  
Danvers had that deer-in-headlights look that characterized a guilty person who doesn't have the slightest idea on how to explain everything.  
  
"Uh." She let out the meaningless sound. "I don't know?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Only after 10 minutes, the police were at the scene already. Asking the people present about the 'attempted' kidnapping of Lena Thorul. The sad thing is, no one really saw what happened.  
  
Linda was now being questioned by a police officer. But instead of getting terribly worried, she's got a nice big smile on her face. How can you be worried when you're just talking to your Father.  
  
"Yup." She said proudly. "I saved the life of Elizabeth Thorul's daughter. Yup. That's me."  
  
Officer Danvers' used to his daughter acting this way whenever she has done something good. And the truth is, he's really proud of her.  
  
"Now Lyn, what did really happen here?" He spoke softly, cautious that no one else would hear him. "Mutated High school students out for revenge?"  
  
"No. I don't think so." Linda muttered looking at Fred, Harold and Keith's direction. They were by now being loaded at the back of the police van, handcuffed. "They're not mutated dad."  
  
"They sounded perfectly normal when I talked to them earlier." Mr. Danvers agreed, eyes also fixed on the three boys. "They said they don't have any memories of what happened."  
  
He sighed.  
  
Linda opened her right hand, and in her palm were 3 tiny shards of what seemed like glass at first.  
  
But as you stare at them longer, the shards give out an odd shimmer.  
  
"I found these in their forehead. I got the biggest one from Harold." She revealed, careful to her environment. "It was almost imbedded in their skin."  
  
"You think these things caused the boys to act differently?" Her father inquired, confusion was pretty obvious in his voice.  
  
"I have a feeling that these things gave them power." Linda confided to her father who was just listening. "And that power caused them to lose control."  
  
It's as if a bright light bulb glowed above her head when she began to remember something. Something from her past that resulted in her world's destruction.  
  
"The Omegahedron." She said under her breath.  
  
"The Omega-what?" Fred asked her again.  
  
As faces of her real parents, Zor El, Allura and her mentor Zaltar flashed before her together with the destruction of Argo City, tears threatened to fall from her blue eyes.  
  
"The Omeg-." Before she can explain it to him, a police officer in training showed up.  
  
It was Ashley Morgan. His expression says 'freaked out' when he called out Mr. Danvers.  
  
"Sir I think you may want to look at what we found at the back lot." Ashley spoke out the words with a hint of distress in his voice.  
  
"Honey, we'll talk about this later." Her father said to Linda. He began walking for the back lot together with Ashley. Another police officer joined them.  
  
"We found a dead body inside the dumpster, sir. Caucasian, female, dark hair, five foot four." Ashley continued pouring out the information they got. "We found her ID. The name's Diane Simons, she's a freshman here in Leesburg High."  
  
Linda heard everything loud and clear, although they were several feet away from where she stood. She couldn't believe it. Diane's dead.  
  
"We already contacted her parents." Added Ashley.  
  
"What's the cause of death Morgan?" Asked Officer Danvers shaking his head in complete disbelief. It seems like every night somebody turns up dead in Leesburg. When will this stop?  
  
"The same as the previous case we handled, Sir." He confessed. "Eyes were torn out of their sockets."  
  
Linda felt her knees wobbled with fear. Whoever is doing this is at it again. Harvesting eyes from unsuspecting victims. What does 'it' want with their eyes? Collection? Food?  
  
A hand touched Linda on her right shoulder. Alarm bells rang inside her head, so she grabbed the hand and prepared to flip whoever it was, aikido style.  
  
"Linda!" Called Lucy Lane, shocked how her best friend held her hand so tightly. She was standing next to Dick Malverne who had the same bewildered look.  
  
"Gawd Lucy!" Linda let out with complete relief that it's not some mutated person, out to get her eyes and stuff. She was also relieved that she didn't apply that much pressure to her grip that'd probably cause Lucy's hand bones to break.  
  
"Give me a heart attack, why don't you!" She continued.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't know you were having a moment there." Lucy apologized snatching back her hand.  
  
"A moment?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.  
  
"You know." Explained her best friend. "Everything around you freezes- deep in you thoughts-flashback moments."  
  
"Oh yeah." Mumbled Linda.  
  
"We heard what happened. Are you ok?" Dick joined in with the conversation. Concern was evident on his façade for Linda's safety.  
  
She nodded in reply.  
  
"I think you should be asking Lena Thorul that question. Not me." Linda commented as they began walking away.  
  
"I saw her earlier, before their driver picked her up." Dick uttered, moving to Linda's left side. "She looked spooked."  
  
"I'd also looked spooked if guys from my high school tried to kidnap me." Lucy expressed right away.  
  
"Poor Lena." Muttered Linda to her friends, feeling sorry for the girl she just saved. "Her moms not even here to console her."  
  
"That's Elizabeth Thorul for you." Lane responded, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Always away from home for business. No wonder her daughter's all-."  
  
"How did you do it?" Dick quickly interrupted Lucy. He was talking to Linda.  
  
Linda stopped and furrowed her eyebrows.  
  
"How did I do what?"  
  
"Stop those guys from kidnapping Lena?" He expounded with curiosity in his blue eyes.  
  
"Yeah." Lucy joined in. "How did you do it?"  
  
Linda just stared at her friends. She was racking her brains for some logical answers or in this case lie so they would be satisfied.  
  
"With my irresistible charm?" She tried joking about it. Praying that Dick and Lucy would just laugh and forget they ever asked her that question.  
  
"No really." Dick prodded his tone serious. "How did you stop them?"  
  
"Well you see I'm an alien from this planet called Krypton and actually that planet exploded and everyone thought nobody survived the tragedy and that only Kal El, my cousin was the sole survivor. But our city, Argo, floated away on a chunk of rock safely after the explosion. To cut the long story short, Argo city also exploded and I think it's because of me and my real parents sent me here to earth to find Kal El and this Omegahedron thing, which I think is causing some of the local kids to have super powers. Oh and by the way I have super speed and I'm invulnerable."  
  
That was the reply Linda wanted to give Dick and Lucy. They'd think she's crazy so she went with the logical explanation.  
  
"Taekwando." She said calmly. "My dad taught me the art of kicking ass when I was a kid."  
  
"Yeah. Your dad's got a black belt for taekwando, right?" Lucy agreed, to Linda's utter easement.  
  
Dick still had that unsatisfied look on his face.  
  
"You remember that time in grade school?" Lucy inquired to Dick. "We had that thing where you bring one of your parents to class and you show everyone your favorite bonding activity?"  
  
Linda was praying he'd recall.  
  
"Wait," Dick pressed his lips together. "I think I'm starting to remember. Was that the time you flipped your father to the floor during your demo?"  
  
His lips were curving into a grin when he asked the question. The priceless look of pain on Mr. Danvers' face when Linda swiftly flipped him over was the thing that registered in Dick Malverne's memory.  
  
"Yeah." Linda answered, a little embarrassed.  
  
All three of them broke out laughing.  
  
Linda glanced over at Dick, who immediately turned red when she noticed he was looking at her. He was thinking how beautiful she is when she laughed like that. Oddly, she was thinking of the exact same thing for him. They just laughed it off. Pretending the moment didn't occur.  
  
They proceeded to walk out of the police swarmed parking lot, heading for that pizza place Dick told them about. "For a moment, I was thinking you're really some sort of a super powered chick from another planet." Dick said between laughter.  
  
Lucy continued to laugh. That wonderful smile on Linda's face vanished temporarily when Dick said those words. Lucy and Dick noticed that she stopped laughing so they looked at her.  
  
Not wanting her friends to suspect, she pretended to laugh out loud ones more. Dick and Lucy joined her.  
  
"Gawd Malverne, you've been reading waaaaaaaay too many comic books." Lucy pointed out. 


	11. Choices

**Chapter Eleven**

11:23PM , Saturday

"I hate myself."

That was the first sentence in Linda's journal that night. She was sitting on the back of the Leesburg High school bus together with the other new girls who made it in the squad, while Nicole and her gang sat near the front giggling. They would whisper at each other, look at the newbies and would break out laughing.

Linda was thankful she brought a long her journal for the trip. It's the only thing that' keeping her sane. Earlier she was thinking of not bringing it with her. She wanted to talk to the other newbies, but it seems to her like they were all busy doing their own thing.

The girl sitting new to her was praying the rosary, probably scared because Nicole announced to them before leaving the school grounds that this trip would be the squad's 'surprise'. She said this would be 'the test.'

"Hooray." She remembered Lena uttering with pure sarcasm under her breath. It was a faint utter of course. The others didn't hear it but being a teenage alien that she is, Linda heard it clearly.

"I hate myself." Linda wrote down for the second time. "Wanna know why? Well for starters, right now, were on our way to gawd knows where for this freakin' initiation for the squad. Nicole kept referring to the trip as a 'surprise' when everyone knows that this would lead to an initiation, obviously. Then there's that tragic investigation with Lucy Lane! Ok, Ok so it was partly my fault because I was the one who dragged her into investigating Dylan Jacobs' death. I gave her the info I read from Ashley Morgan's police file reports and she went all giddy already. She said that's enough for her to make her entry for the school newspaper. "

Linda flipped to the second page of the journal and continued writing.

"Of course I had to tell her that's not enough. As if I'm just going to stop there! I know a lot already and I'm way certain that who ever killed Dylan is still out there looking for his/her/its next victim. Meteor rocks, Mutation, the only probable cause, I'd have to say."

Dylan was a buff guy, probably one of the biggest guys in Leesburg High. Linda reckoned that no one can take him down like that, except for his fellow team mates in football. As far as she knows the other guys in the team loved Dylan Jacobs. She asked around and the guys would say the same thing, he was always the charismatic and funny one in the team.

Kurt Wu, one of Dylan's closest friends in the team, said that he doesn't have the slightest idea who would kill Dylan. Then after a few seconds he took it back and blamed the chess and science club because Dylan would usually pick on the nerds for laughs.

One look at the members of the chess and science club and Linda couldn't help but doubt if these guys are really capable of murdering the guy. But she thought of the powers of the Meteor rocks and what it can do to ordinary people.

"I took Lucy for a small trip down town to an address that kept popping up on Dylan Jacobs' records. The same address I found in Ashley's police report. Mrs. Black's house. It was a huge French style villa with a perfectly manicured front yard. I've surveyed the place before and as it turns out it seemed empty. "

Linda penned carefully.

"Lucy was of course against my idea of going inside the house to check for clues or some sort about Dylan's connection to Mrs. Black."

"I don't know what planet you came from, but in our world this is called breaking in." Lucy objected whispering, while Linda was checking for an open window they can climb into. "And we could get in jail because of this!"

"Were not breaking in, were just - gonna look around. That's all." Linda reasoned out heading for the back door of the house. Lucy lagged behind obviously terrified to get caught.

Linda twisted the brass knob carefully. It was locked.

"There. It's locked now let's go home." Lucy pleaded turning to leave.

With a little effort she twisted the knob again, this time using her strength. The door knob spring snapped in an instant and she was able to open the door.

"No it isn't." Linda advised plainly with a smile.

Linda could remember Lucy's face that time. And it makes her wanna laugh. She drew a smile on that page of her journal and continued jotting her story.

"Magnificent Italian furniture filled the house. Everything was strangely in order. Not a spot, not a dust can be traced around the house. Probably a care taker came recently to tidy up the place. Lucy was too chicken to come upstairs so I left her to check the living room." Narrated Linda in her journal. "Unfortunately we ended up going home with nothing. All we found were pictures of Mrs. Black with her nephew, Dylan. Lucy and I are back to square one again. Who killed Dylan Jacobs?"

She suddenly felt like someone's looking at her. Linda looked up and pivoted her head to check who it is. She met Lena Thorul's eyes. Lena eyes swiftly looked away, pretending to admire the scenery outside, which is weird considering that it's dark and they can only see silhouettes of trees and small houses outside the bus window.

"What does she want from me?" She scribbled on her journal. "Ever since that thing at the parking lot happened, she's been giving me that strange look. Could it be possible that she knows what really happened back there? And that she saw the entire thing? Gawd I hope not. I could already see the Leesburg Tribune headline, 'ALIEN GIRL IN LOCAL HIGHSCHOOL CAUGHT'."

Lena sat quietly at the far end of the bus. She sat right beside the window where she could look outside and 'entertain' herself. There was no way in hell she'd talk to these local kids. What are they gonna talk about? The recent Ana Sui and Vera Wang collection?

"Pfff!" She sounded, shaking her head. She doubts if one of these newbies even heard of those brilliant designers. Maybe mention Sears and they'd be all familiar with the clothing line. The tragedy.

One kid in particular baffles Lena though. There's something different with that Danver's girl. Having a small background at witchcraft, Lena was able to read Linda's aura. She could sense an air of mystery in her.

Lena's memory suddenly shifted from the events that happened at the school parking lot. She was on her way to meet Jose, her chauffeur, when those retards tried to carry her off to somewhere. When she fought back, meaning she kicked, clawed, and mostly screamed, her abductors had no choice but to shut her up. Lena could still smell the nauseating aroma of that chemically drenched hanky.

The strange thing is she doesn't have the slightest idea why those guys would try to kidnap her. Then again, she's filthy rich and there's that incident with one of her abductors at the school cafeteria, Harold Fierce, when she told him that he is so beneath her and to just bug off because she's not interested.

It was cruel of her. Lena knows that. But hey, the guy was persistently annoying. No means no.

When she got home that afternoon, she immediately phoned her father to tell him of the attempted kidnapping. He was alarmed. Well, at least she reckoned he sounded alarmed. She wanted to tell him how scared she was and that she needs him right now. Lena could've done that if Lionel wasn't in such a hurry because of an on going meeting.

She over heard her father's perky sounding secretary in Metropolis saying that a certain 'Lex' has already been waiting in the conference hall for about an hour and was demanding to talk to him at once.

"Screw him." Lena thought. He must be a freaking important associate because he's heard of his name before. Mostly from her mom. They would talk about him when they thought she couldn't hear them.

That 'Lex' must probably be a rich guy, considering that he had tried buying out his father's factory in Smallville a lot of times now.

"Smallville." She mumbled. She's been hearing an awful lot of this place from her parents when she was growing up. Lena doesn't know much about it really, all she heard from her father is it's a ghastly small town right outside of Metropolis.

"Just like Midvale." Lena thought. Weird enough, that's where they are right now.

She snapped out of her thoughts and returned back to the horrible scene inside the bus. There's the newbies again doing their own thing with the cheering squad 'legends' sitting up front giggling. Lena's eyes then traveled to a girl sitting at her opposite side of the bus by the window, Linda Danvers. Based from what she can tell she was deep in her thoughts scribbling down things on her notebook.

From amongst the people inside the bus, Lena reckoned that Linda would be the only person worth talking to. That is if she's ever forced to talk to anyone that night.

Now, she's not becoming a softy in any aspect. She still thinks she better, prettier and way cooler than anyone in town. Its just that ever since that Danvers girl saved her ass, she somehow felt obliged to be nice to her.

Lena may be a stuck up bitch but she knows how it is to be grateful. They were teaching these kinds of mushy things in boarding school, maybe something stuck.

Then all of a sudden Linda glanced her way and she just had to look away. What was she suppose to do? Smile? Wave hello?

The bus finally came to a complete halt after 10 minutes. Nicole ordered everyone to step down of the bus and to just leave their things there. She let them know that the bus will be leaving and will not be coming back for another two hours.

Fear was evident in the faces of some of the newbies while the older members of the squad had grins pasted on their lips. It was dark all around, hollow old trees where lined up everywhere and a strange cold mist filled the air. If it weren't for the flashlights everyone was holding, they'd barely see where they're heading.

As if it's not enough to spook the girls out, the squad blind folded the newbies.

Nicole's gang guided the girls towards their next destination. They went past a rusty arc that says 'Welcome to Forrest Green'. It seemed like the place must be some sort of a picnic ground or something way back a gazillion years ago.

After quite a long trek, they finally settled on a spot where the 'surprise' will begin. They were asked to form a straight line and face right. The squad assisted in removing their blind folds.

"Surprise!" Nicole's gang yelled in unison.

Shock registered on the newbies faces when they found themselves before a misty mud filled swamp.

There was a slight commotion for a moment amongst the newbies.

Nicole disregarded the uproar and continued with her speech about the initiation. She said it would help them form a bond between their fellow cheerleaders and this is a test of loyalty and friendship.

"There's no way in hell that I'm gonna there." Lena voiced out, bravely, to everyone's surprise.

"Then you can always leave and walk home Thorul." Louise Menken advised with an annoying fake smile.

Almost everyone wanted to back out but the thought of hanging out and being with the popular crowd was too strong for them to resist. They figured that if it's not safe, Nicole wouldn't ask them to do it.

The small hairs at the back of Linda's neck stood up. She could sense something's about to happen, something terrible.

If she'd walk out now, there's no telling what could happen to these girls. She's their only hope from whatever's lurking inside that dark swamp.

Only she can protect them.


	12. Prey

Note: I started this fanfic even before Kara appeared on the Smallville series and I'd like to point out that this is a totally different Kara. Just finishing up on her story before I make another fanfic revealing who this Kara is.

Chapter Twelve

Nicole and her army of skanks lined up the 8 trembling girls. Then she asked them to strip down to their underwear and to take off their shoes. The girls followed swiftly, except for Linda and Lena who were standing next to each other. Their eyes met as if asking each other if they should back out or go with it.

Louise waltz towards them and snapped her fingers, "What's taking so long?"

"N-nothing." Linda answered, as she started taking her clothes off. Lena did the same, against her will.

All 8 girls were stripped down to just their bras and panties in the cold dead of the night. The cheerleaders giggled looking at their new recruits. One of the cheerleaders handed Nicole a can of spray paint.

"Here's what's gonna happen girls…" She started, shaking the red can of paint. "You will all get into the mud pit, using your flashlights you need to find your way around until you reach the other side, where your seniors will be waiting."

Nicole walked towards the first girl on the line up and sprayed a big letter L on her chest. She moved to the second girl and sprayed a capital E, and another E on the third girl. Then Linda was next. Nicole looked at her, head to toes, secretly envious of her perfectly toned figure.

She sprayed her with the big letter S on her chest with a bitchy smile on her face. Lena received the B. She went on spelling the word LEESBURG on the chest of the recruits.

As soon as she's done, she handed Louise the spray paint, took several steps backwards and basked on her "work of art."

"Perfect." She uttered with a smile. The other cheerleaders shared the smile, nodding.

"The first 4 girls who makes it to the other side gets to be a part of the squad." Louise stated, hands on her hip. "Officially."

"But I thought we're already part of the squad and this is just an initiation thing?" One of the newbies complained.

"Sorry, new rule." Nicole said pressing her lips together. "We only need 4."

The rest of the squad ushered the girls into the pit. Lena first thought it wouldn't be half as bad, but as soon as she got into the knee deep mud, she started panicking in her head.

"Goodluck everyone." Louise said, as the cheerleaders walked away, leaving the recruits standing in the mud filled swamp of Forrest Green.

As soon as the seniors were out, some of the new girls hurried towards the forest of dead trees, trying to out run their competition. Linda wasn't bothered and walked at her own pace.

Lena was staggering. She literally had to drag her legs, one after the other, just to move.

"It would be better if you'd try walking, like pulling your leg out of the mud and so on, instead of doing that." Linda suggested when she saw Lena struggling.

She just looked at her coldly, but proceeded as Linda advised. She was right. It was a lot easier.

Deep in the woods, the new recruits decided to go on their separate ways. One of the girls found a less muddy trail, but a much darker path. One of them, decided to climb a tree, high enough so she could see where she needed to go. The other, after only 20 minutes alone, was near to tears, scared that she could be totally lost.

The howling of a lone wolf from a distance made it far more scary for the recruits.

"Damn it." Linda cursed, when she noticed that her flashlight's dying out on her.

She gave it a tap on her palm just to give the remaining battery juice a jumpstart, but she ended up smashing the flashlight's head to bits. She threw it away frustrated.

"Great." She murmured, standing in the middle of nowhere, alone in the dark.

Meanwhile, Lena got tired of "exploring." She found a dead tree lying on it's side and decided to take a break from it all. She sat comfortably, contemplating what has happened to her since she came to Leesburg.

"I need a freakin' smoke." She sighed.

Cora, a recruit sporting the red letter R on her chest, wandered farther into the swamp with a dying flashlight on hand. She had mud all over her back from losing her balance earlier. She even had some stuck on her hair.

"Happy thoughts." She told herself. "Think of happy thoughts."

From the darkness she heard a faint giggle.

"Who's there?" Cora asked.

The eerie laughter echoed again.

"It's not funny! Who's there?" She complained, shining her flashlight frantically everywhere.

No one answered. The other worldly giggle stopped too.

Cora continued braving the muddy pits by herself. She thought if her mom would find out what she's been doing just to get in a cheering squad, she would kill her. She wondered what her little brother Justin's been doing back home.

"Cora." Someone called out from the darkness. "Cora."

It was the same voice that was giggling earlier. It sounded like it was teasing her, making fun of her even.

"You guys I said it's not freaking funny!" She said as she turned around and saw who was standing behind her all along.

Cora wanted to scream but she couldn't. She stood there frozen in utter shock. She dropped her flashlight on the mud as the light slowly died out…

Linda on the other side of the swamp discovered one of the perks of being an alien with super powers. She found out that her eyes adjust easily in the dark and could see much better compared to normal humans. She was able to move around with ease without bumping into a rock or a dead bark of a tree.

As soon as she reached what seems to be the heart of the swamp, she started to feel weak. It was like energy was draining out of her body. She crashed forward, but was able to land on all fours. Linda crawled into the mud slowly, every inch of body aching like hell.

The more she moved forward, the more she felt like her energy's getting sucked out of her. She looked down on her chest and saw the bright red letter S on her chest that Nicole spray painted earlier. She felt utterly weak. She felt like she was dying.

Linda surrendered and lowered one side of her body on the muddy swamp. She no longer cared if mud would get in her face or hair. The pain she was under was too much.

It was only then that she noticed the glowing green rocks that surrounded the area.

"Meteor rocks." She thought to herself, eyes half closed.

She knew she was going to die. Somehow, the same meteor rocks that crashed on Leesburg with her, terribly weakens her, to the point that she could no longer move.

Linda remembered her parents, her mentor Zaltar and apologized to each of them for failing. She apologized for not being able to find her cousin Kal-El. She closed her eyes.

Lena was talking to herself while she was walking. She was calling herself stupid for ever wanting to be part of the squad and for letting Nicole and her skanks do this to her.

She shone her flashlight in front of her, and far ahead she saw a half naked figure of a girl lying on the muddy ground. Immediately she rushed towards the figure, kneeled on the ground, turned the girl and recognized it to be the Danvers girl. She was unconscious.

Lena stood up, tucked her flashlight under her left arm and dragged Linda with both hands towards a muddy clearing in the woods. She wiped the mud on her face and placed her head on a tree root to rest.

"Linda, Linda, " She asked, lightly patting her cheeks with her hand to wake her up. "Are you okay?"

Linda groaned as she slowly fluttered her eyes. She could feel her strength coming back slowly. Next to her she saw Lena Thorul.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Lena asked, concerned.

"I'm okay." She replied, sitting up. "I just probably got tired."

Lena gave her a weird look, "So you decided to take a nap on the ground?"

Linda shrugged, unable to come up with an excuse.

"Ugh!" Lena grunted standing up, looking around the place. "Now because of you, I might not make it to the squad. Your stunt just cost me a few minutes of my time."

Linda rubbed her temples.

"I bet we're the last ones here!" Lena continued bitching. "They're all probably celebrating on the other …"

A strong gust of wind went past both of them, cutting Lena's sentence off as she fell flat on her back on the mud.

"What the hell was that?" Lena inquired, furious. "Did you just push me?"

Linda, still sitting down, looked at her, like a deer in headlights.

"How can I push you when I'm sitting all the way here." She asked.

"I felt someone…something… pushed me." Lena insisted.

Before Linda could reply the gust of wind happened again and Lena found herself flying across the clearing and crashing hard on a tree. She landed on the mud with a thud and became unconscious.

"Lena!" Linda yelled and she struggled to stand up.

The gust of wind passed by her and it stopped. In front of her stood Louise Menken, one of the senior cheerleaders in the squad.

Linda noted blood trickling down Louise's tear ducts and out of her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows at her, shocked and confused at the same time.

"I guess you won't be making it to the team after all." Louise commented with a sinister grin on her face.


	13. Hero

Note: The last chapter.

Chapter Thirteen

"You killed Lena." Linda accused, staring to Louise. "You killed her!"

"I probably did." She replied without remorse, dusting off her skirt. "She's not my first actually. I killed tons already. Like … Dylan Jacobs and that really irritating newbie, Cora."

"You killed Dylan?" Linda asked, surprised. "But he's your …"

"Boyfriend?" She continued. "Yeah. I liked him. But I needed his eyes. I can't go walking around Leesburg without eyes you know. Might scare the people away."

"You're sick." Linda said.

"You think?" Louise inquired, sarcastic. "A good pair of eyes could only last me a few weeks before they start dropping out of my sockets like ripe grape fruits."

Linda swallowed hard as she started backing away while Louise was talking.

"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you. You see, I'm also, like, super fast and I could easily rip your spine out if you turn away from me." She warned, keeping an eerie sweetness to her voice. "So why don't you make it easy for both of us and come over here, so I can take your eyes. Cora's eyes are crappy. She wears contacts. I don't want to wear contacts. It's very uncomfortable."

"Do they know?" Linda asked, referring to the other seniors in the cheering squad. "Do they know your 'condition'?"

"Just Nicole. And she's way supportive." She replied. "Enough talking. I really need your eyes."

Louise pounced at Linda as they both crashed on the muddy ground. Linda easily pushed Louise off her and got back on her feet. When her enemy tried to jump on her again, she punched her, mid air, right side of her face, sending Louise flying in the air and landing on the mud.

"Bitch." The monster cussed, checking if the punch dislocated her jaw. "You're soooo gonna pay for that."

Louise stood up as her right eye popped out of it's socket and ending on the muddy ground.

"Like I said, I need your eyes really bad." She managed to joke with one empty eye socket.

She charged again with sharp claws up in the air, lashing towards Linda. She tried to jump back to avoid getting hit, but to no avail, the claws hit her chest, cutting one strap of her bra.

Louise howled in pain when one of her claw broke. Linda was unwounded, with only a damaged bra strap flailing in the wind.

Linda rushed with super speed, snatched Louise's ponytail and slammed her against a tree trunk. Louise recovered and decked line on her exposed tummy. Linda doubled in pain as Louise kicked her on the side of her head.

"You're really strong Danvers." Louise praised, trying to catch her breath. "Seems like I'm not the only one keeping secrets around here."

Just then, the remaining eye out popped out of Louise's head.

"Oh My God! Oh My God!" She panicked, kneeling down on the mud, trying to look for the eye.

Linda found the eye, although disgusted, she picked it up and noted that it was Dylan's eye.

"Looking for this, bitch?" She asked standing before Louise.

"Give me! Give me!" Louise pleaded hands up.

But instead of helping her, Linda kicked her in the guts with her muddy bare foot. Louise cried in pain nursing her aching tummy.

"You stupid little slu—." Before Louise could finish her sentence, Linda shoved the eye inside her mouth, trying to choke her with it.

Linda held the back of her enemy's neck as Louise struggled to break free. Linda's hand covered Louise mouth, preventing her from spitting out the eye. Now with the other hand, Linda covered Louise's nose and the monster groaned as she started choking on the eye she stole from her ex lover.

In a matter of minutes, Louise stopped struggling. Linda could tell that her enemy's dead. She lay her down on the ground, lifeless.

She noticed something gleaming on Louise's empty left eye socket. She put her finger in and was able to pull out something that looked like a small shard of broken glass.

Then it occurred to Linda, that it was a piece of the Omegahedron. The power source that destroyed the city of Argo years ago. It gave Louise her super speed.

"Where the hell am I?"

Linda hear Lena utter from the other side of the clearing. She stood up, and walked towards Lena who was slowly regaining consciousness.

"You're okay Lena. I'm here." She pacified, helping her companion up.

"What the hell happened?" Lena asked, feeling the pain after being thrown against a tree.

"We got attacked by…" Linda turned to look at Louise's remains, but found a pile of blobby goo on it's place. "…something."

"Why is it that whenever I get in trouble or get hurt, you show up?" Lena asked, one arm anchored around Linda's shoulder for support while they walk. "Did my mother hire you? Are you some kind of secret agent to look after me? Some sort of super person, super girl?"

"Maybe." Was all Linda mumbled.

The girls braved the woods and as soon as they got to the other side, there were police cars and ambulances waiting for them.

Nicole and the rest of the squad were being questioned by the police. And 2 of the new recruits sat at the back of ambulance, wrapped in warm blankets.

"We made it." Linda joked to Lena, realizing that they're the 3rd and 4th recruits to get there before the others.

Officer Ashley Morgan, ran towards Linda and Lena with blankets to cover their half naked bodies.

"Thanks." Linda said as she helped Ashley wrap another blanket around Lena.

"You're father's really pissed." Ashley warned her, as he guided the girls towards the nearest ambulance.

"I think so too." She joked again.

"What happened in there?" Ashley inquired as they walked. "Those two girls on the ambulance found the dead body of Cora Linney in the swamp. Luckily one of them was carrying a mobile phone with them so she rang the station for help."

Linda was quiet, helping Lena sit down at the back of the ambulance.

"You could've gotten killed. What were you thinking?" He asked. His handsome face looked worried with every words.

"I know. I'm sorry." She said apologetic.

"She helped me." Lena suddenly spoke. "If it wasn't for her, a lot of girlw would've probably been killed. Myself included. I dunno what happened. I dunno how, but she saved me, she saved us."

Ashley looked at Lena and then to Linda.

"She hit her head pretty bad." Linda explained to Ashley. "We should probably call her mom and let her know."

"Are you okay?" Ashley asked Linda.

"I'm fine." She answered with a reassuring weak smile.

She turned around and she found her dad standing a few feet away from her. Before he could say anything, Linda ran towards her father and hugged him tight.

Fred couldn't help but hug his daughter back.


End file.
